I'm Still Here
by Orange-Green
Summary: It had been over a year since the outbreak or whatever it was. And no one really knew what it was. Only that life would never be the same. There was no point in asking why or how. They had survived and they were together. That was all that mattered. A Pitch Perfect Zombie fic. Staubrey. Chaubrey. Jeca. Bechloe friendship. Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

A/N – I'm jumping on the zombie bandwagon. Named for "Blackbird Song" by Lee DeWyze. It was written for The Walking Dead. The song was in my head when I wrote most of this and it sort of sets the tone. Give it a listen. I don't own anything you recognize. Staubrey. Chaubrey. Jeca. Bechloe friendship. Sorry for any mistakes. And there will be character deaths.

 **I'm Still Here**

 _Don't be scared._

 _I'm still here._

 _No more time for crying dear._

The sun dipped behind the clouds but still the day was warm. Hot even. She sighed as she leaned her forehead against the glass as they traveled the short distance back to camp. The air from the open driver and front passenger windows had the blonde's hair fluttering softly.

Aubrey stared out the window of the SUV from her spot in the back seat. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of a handful of biters trudging along through a field. They would be nearing the camp by the next day if they continued as they were.

"Stop." She called.

Beca met her gaze in the rearview mirror with a nod and pulled the vehicle to a stop alongside the desolate road.

"Why do we have to stop?" Stacie whined from her spot, legs draped over Aubrey's lap. "There's only a few of them. Why bother?"

"Because they could end up at the camp and we can't take that chance…they could get through the fences." Aubrey replied, already slipping out from under the brunette's legs and stepping out of the vehicle. "This won't take long babe."

Stacie followed the blonde around the back of the SUV, their knives in hand. "It better not." She called after her. "It's Donald's night for kitchen duty…you know that man can make a masterpiece out of even Raman noodles! If we're late everyone will have picked over the good stuff already."

Aubrey finally smiled and shook her head. "We'll be back in plenty of time Stace, don't worry."

Beca and Jesse followed along with the pair as they approached the biters who had by that point taken notice of their presence. They shifted and began to drift closer to the approaching group, their jaws snapping in anticipation and their arms reaching.

Aubrey approached the first one and with a quick sidestep, thrust her knife into its temple. She had learned to not give much thought to the sound and feel as the decomposing skulls collapsed around her blade. She had also stopped thinking about what life was like before the outbreak for whoever she had just put down. Or for herself really.

Aubrey glanced over her shoulder quickly to be certain Stacie was still fine as Beca and Jesse quickly disposed of their own biters. Stacie calmly grabbed the remaining biter by the shoulder to steady it and then quickly stabbed downward right into the crown of its head. It crumpled to the ground with no difficulty and Aubrey smiled.

"See, I told you."

Stacie smirked and stepped closer to the blonde and pulled her in for a searing kiss. When they broke apart, the brunette smirked and lifted her bloody knife and wiped it off on the sleeve of Aubrey's shirt, the blood smearing down the woman's shoulder.

"Aw that's disgusting." Aubrey groaned. "Now I'll be the one late for dinner because I'll have to change."

Stacie smiled again and pressed a quick kiss to Aubrey's cheek. "Don't worry, I'll help you. Only one thing worth missing Donald dinners…"

The blonde licked her lips and nodded.

"Ok, come on you two." Beca called, already heading back to the car. "It'll be dark soon."

xxxx

"Any trouble?" Chloe called as she stepped closer to the SVU that had just come to a stop in the drive of the building they were all currently calling home.

"Nope." Stacie replied, Aubrey's hand firmly in her own. "Has dinner been served yet?"

The redhead chuckled and shook her head. "Not yet. You haven't missed whatever amazing creation he's serving tonight."

"Thank God." The brunette muttered, pulling Aubrey along behind her.

Jesse rounded the car and pressed a kiss to Beca's cheek as he passed, carrying the equipment toward the building. She smiled as she watched him follow the other two inside.

"The windmill still in good shape?" Chloe asked, falling into step beside her friend.

Beca nodded and shouldered her pack. "Yeah seems to be fine. We stopped to take out a few biters that were headed in this direction. Just thought it would best not to take a chance."

"Makes sense." Chloe replied absentmindedly.

"You ok?" Beca asked, eyeing the woman next to her.

Chloe smiled at the shorter woman. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be? We made it through another day, Donald is on dinner duty, Lily hasn't gone psycho and killed us all. Life is good…well, as good as can be expected since the end of civilization as we know it."

Beca rolled her eyes but chuckled.

"Hurry up you bitches!" Amy called from the doorway. "Donald says dinner is up in five so get a move on if you expect to get anything."

xxxx

Beca glanced around the room at her friends as they were all gathered together to eat. They were all she had left. When the unthinkable happened and the world went to shit, they had banded together and sought a safe haven together. They had stuck together from then on. Others had joined. And they had lost people too.

It had been over a year since the outbreak or whatever it was. And no one really knew what it was. Only that life would never be the same. There was no point in asking why or how. They had survived and they were together. That was all that mattered. And there didn't seem to be any government fighting for a cure or trying to reestablish organization.

News reports had been scattered at first, reporting rumored suspicious activity. But no real facts so no one really paid much attention. And then it was too late. News stations and radio stations broadcasted desperate reports but all anyone had to do was look out their own windows to see something had gone terribly wrong.

It was dumb luck that they had all been able to stick together. She was in her junior year at Barden, still leading the Bellas. Aubrey and Chloe had randomly stuck around, the blonde for law school, and the redhead was teaching at a local middle school.

Beca had a sneaking suspicion that Chloe remained because Aubrey had. And it was no secret that Aubrey chose to attend law school in a nearby town to stay close to Stacie. If the blonde was to make time for a relationship with anyone, Beca had expected it would have been Chloe. But Aubrey and Stacie seemed blissfully in love. But then so did Chloe.

The brunette let her gaze rest on her best friend. The redhead was laughing at something Amy had said. She looked happy but Beca couldn't help but notice Chloe's smile slip just slightly when the redhead glanced to Aubrey and Stacie who were laughing along but snuggled together comfortably.

Beca snapped her gaze back from the couple to Chloe. She caught the redhead's eye and her friend smiled back to her as if all was right with the world.

xxxx

Dinner ended and the group scattered for the night, some to keep watch, others to their own space. Chloe smiled sadly as she watched Aubrey and Stacie wandering away hand in hand, all smiles. She only watched for a few moments before she turned away and allowed her gaze to wander over the once-grand lobby of the old hotel they had recently claimed as their home. She leaned against the railing with her hands clasped in front of her, not quite ready to retreat to her own room just yet.

"Hey, Chloe?"

The redhead smiled again and glanced back over her shoulder where Aubrey stood gazing back at her with Stacie a few steps behind her. "Yeah Bree?"

"Get some rest tonight ok…we have a run tomorrow."

Chloe rolled her eyes but nodded with a smirk as Stacie practically began to drag Aubrey away toward their bedroom. "Yes ma'am. But I'm pretty sure you're the one in for a long night."

Aubrey blushed but couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she allowed Stacie to pull her into their room. The door was barely closed behind them before the blonde found herself pushed roughly against it with Stacie pressed against her trailing hot kisses down her neck.

"God, I've been waiting for this all day." Stacie husked, running her hands down Aubrey's hips.

Aubrey moaned and allowed her head to fall back to give the brunette more access. But as much as she was aching to feel Stacie under her own hands, Aubrey couldn't shake the memory of the sadness she detected in her best friend's bright blue eyes. She groaned. Stacie mistook the meaning of the noise and quickly ripped Aubrey's button up shirt open, buttons popping.

"Fuck." The blonde whimpered. Even as she burned in anticipation, Aubrey still couldn't block Chloe from her mind. "I worry about her."

Stacie abruptly stopped her movement and groaned with her lips still attached to her lover's collarbone. "Are you fucking kidding me? I am two seconds away from being naked and you're thinking about her?"

Aubrey grimaced as Stacie stepped away and smiled patiently back at her. "I'm sorry baby…Trust me…I want you naked, and soon. But I just can't help but think about how lonely she must be."

Stacie sighed and reached to tuck Aubrey's hair behind her ear gently. "Chloe…Chloe will be fine. She will be. There are plenty of people who would be more than happy to make sure she's good and taken care of. She's just too picky. But she has good taste, I'll give her that."

Aubrey rolled her eyes and swatted at Stacie with a laugh. "Shut up. How many times do I have to tell you, Chloe is not in love with me. And do I need to be worried? You seem awfully interested in Chloe getting 'taken care of'."

Stacie chuckled and shook her head. "The only woman I want to see taken care of is you…well and me of course." She once again pushed herself flush against the blonde and ran a hand suggestively up Aubrey's thigh. "Now will you please…stop worrying about anyone other than you and me right now?"

Aubrey moaned as Stacie cupped her center, the brunette smirking. The blonde nodded and was quickly pulled in for another searing kiss.

xxxx

Chloe rolled her eyes at the sound of the 'thump' from inside the room Aubrey and Stacie had just disappeared into. She shook her head and pushed herself away from the railing and decided to wander down to the lobby, still not quite ready to retire to her own room. She smiled and waved to the people she passed on the way in the dim lantern-lit path.

She didn't stop in the lobby however, and instead wandered out into the courtyard where Amy and Donald were keeping their watch.

"What's happening Red." Amy said with a salute.

Chloe smiled and dropped onto the stairs next to the two and gazed out into the darkness. No matter how long this new world lasted, the redhead was sure she would never get used to the darkness. No city skylines. No buzzing lights in parking garages. No street lamps.

The only light left was in the form of matches or lanterns or what flashlights still had working batteries.

The old bed and breakfast had served them well so far. It had been a plantation home originally and was remote enough that it wasn't easy to simply stumble upon. The fences surrounding the grounds also served to keep intruders, both dead and alive, out. But still the redhead felt a chill. She wondered if she would ever feel secure again. Chloe dropped her hand to the pistol strapped to her leg out of reflex.

"Easy there Chlo." Donald said with a chuckle. "It's all quiet tonight so don't go all guns blazing on us."

Chloe laughed finally and shrugged. "Sorry…just a little on edge I guess."

"Well no need to worry ginger." Amy said, making pistol motions with her fingers. "Fat Patricia and Donald are on watch tonight so you just rest easy. We'll protect you."

"Be still my heart." Chloe replied with a laugh. She fanned herself as if she were a damsel in distress who had just been rescued.

The sound of footsteps approaching from behind caught their attention and their laughter faded.

"Chloe, what are you doing out here?" Beca called. "We have a run tomorrow so you don't have to keep watch tonight…in fact you should probably get some rest."

The redhead chuckled slightly at the sight of her friend approaching, Jesse close behind. "Why is everyone so concerned with my sleep habits tonight? Don't you worry about me. I'll retire, alone, shortly and be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the run tomorrow."

"Somebody needs to get laid." Amy muttered with a sideways glance to Donald. He simply nodded in agreement.

Beca smirked but eyed her friend suspiciously. She turned to Jesse and smiled. "I'll be up in a few, ok?"

The man smiled and nodded, taking the hint to give them a few minutes. "Goodnight guys."

Beca smiled at him again as he turned to head back inside. She then turned back to her friends. "You two ok for watch? You're not too tired or anything?"

Donald and Amy both shook their heads, indicating they were fine.

"Ok" Beca replied. "Keep each other alert ok? Seriously guys, we can't get too comfortable. One of those things could get through the gate, there could be a hole in the fence or something. One gets in and it just takes one bite…"

They both nodded solemnly. Chloe took note of Beca's uneasiness and she too nodded before hopping to her feet. She decided to make her way to her room if for no other reason than to put her friend's mind at ease as far as she was concerned for the run the next day. The two fell into step beside each other as they wandered back inside.

"You ok Beca?"

The brunette nodded but didn't smile. "I am. I just worry that we're getting lazy…complacent. It's been a month since we lost anyone."

"That's a good thing actually." Chloe said softly. "This is a pretty solid place…we're lucky. And all the supplies we've been able to find…we have weapons and supplies, we have food. We're really lucky."

"We are." Beca agreed. "But Jessica should have been too. And Denise…"

Chloe wrapped an arm around the shorter woman's shoulders and squeezed. "That wasn't your fault Beca, it wasn't. You couldn't have stopped what happened, no one could. But knowing you, you feel responsible for all of us. Ya know, you and Aubrey are a lot more alike than either of you are willing to admit."

"Bite your tongue bitch." Beca joked. "Speaking of Aubrey…how are you?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Subtle topic change there, Mitchell. I'm fine. I got used to them being together a long time ago. She's happy so I'm happy."

Beca nodded. "She does seem happy, you're right about that."

"She loves Stacie. And Stacie loves her. She must…she hasn't been with anyone but Aubrey in like two years now. And she helps Aubrey relax. They're good for each other so I can't really complain."

Beca chuckled and shook her head. "You're probably the only person I know who doesn't hate their romantic rival."

"She makes Aubrey happy…I like her."

"You like everyone, little Miss Fucking Sunshine."

Chloe slapped the brunette's shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Well, this is my stop. Gotta get my rest…we have a run tomorrow you know."

Beca smiled at the redhead's smirk. "Damn right. Get some sleep."

Chloe chuckled when she saw Jesse waiting for Beca outside their room at the opposite end of the hall. "You too. I'm willing to guarantee I get more sleep than any of the rest you going on the run tomorrow. I'm the one going to bed alone remember?"

"That's your own choice and you know it Chloe." Beca replied. "In fact, I'm getting a little worried about you. From what I remember at Barden, you didn't go to bed alone very often. And there are plenty of people here who would be great for you."

"Was that an invitation?" Chloe interrupted with a wink.

The brunette laughed. "I'll have to run that by my boyfriend. If he said yes and then got hotter for you than me, I'd have to feed you to the biters so I'd say we better not stray into that dangerous territory."

Chloe laughed as well and waved goodnight as Beca continued down the hall. The redhead's smile faded slightly as she entered her room and closed the door softly behind her.

xxxx

"So," Aubrey said, squinting her eyes against the bright morning sun. "Which direction are we heading? We've been as far north as the airport. Should we keep going past that or in another direction?"

Jesse was leaning over the map that was spread out over the hood of the SUV studying it. The map had been marked and roads crossed out as they had fanned out for various runs. "Well, we'll probably need to score some more gasoline before we venture that far out again. What do you think about this section over here?"

Aubrey stepped closer and looked to where the man was pointing to on the map. There appeared to be a small town only a half an hour drive or so away.

"Looks fine by me." She replied. "Maybe we'll find gas and some more supplies. I love Donald's cooking but I'm getting a little tired of noodles. Maybe we can round up some canned meat or something…God I never thought I'd be excited at the thought of canned meat."

"Did I just hear you say you like spam?" Beca asked with a smirk as she approached, tightening her belt that had both a knife and pistol attached to it. "Queen B eats spam. Wish I had known that back at Barden."

Aubrey rolled her eyes but didn't respond. She instead glanced back over her shoulder where Chloe and Stacie were walking toward them, chatting amicably. She smiled at the sight of her girlfriend and best friend.

"Hi babe." Stacie said as they joined the group. She pulled Aubrey closer and kissed her tenderly.

"Hi." Aubrey returned with a smile.

"We ready to go?" Benji asked, his baseball bat firmly in his hand.

The others nodded and piled into the waiting SUV. Jesse hopped into the driver seat with Beca next to him. Benji, Chloe, Aubrey and Stacie took seats in the back. A second group with a few newer camp members hopped into a second van with Cynthia Rose taking lead in the driver seat, along with Uni and Lily. They pulled out, none looking behind them as they headed toward the small town marked on the map.

They drove for about thirty minutes before idling to a stop on the outskirts of town. It looked quiet. There were a number of buildings along the crisscrossing streets. A department store, grocery store, and a number of gas stations could be seen.

"That's a lot of places for biters to be hanging out." Stacie said softly.

They all stepped out of the vehicles and eyed their surroundings warily.

"Ok," Beca said, eying the group. "We stick together. We start at the far end of this street and we work our way back to the cars. Mike, you stay with the cars to make sure no one comes along to try to jack them. If a group of people come along looking for trouble, tap the horn three times and we'll know to come back. But only if it's an emergency. Got it?"

The new camp member nodded solemnly.

"Alright, let's go then."

The group, minus Mike, headed out slowly. They walked about ten blocks or so to get to the farthest building, passing a women's clothing store along the way. Aubrey paused briefly and looked in the window with a sigh. She would have shopped in a store like this before. Stacie stepped up behind her and dropped her chin to the blonde's shoulder.

"That yellow one would look amazing on you."

Aubrey smiled and glanced sideways at her girlfriend. "I like that one. Maybe I'd let you borrow it."

"Come on you two, stay together." Beca hissed from a short distance away. Stacie rolled her eyes.

From her spot next to Beca, Chloe smirked. "Ya know, I appreciate the effort, but you can't keep them from canoodling all the time."

Beca glanced at the redhead with a smirk of her own. "I can try. Anything to get under Aubrey's skin. She's still fun to mess with even if it is the end of the world. Besides, they should be focused, not window shopping. We're kind of in the middle of a zombie apocalypse here remember?"

Chloe chuckled and once again glanced around looking for any sign of trouble. A handful of biters were trudging down one of the side streets, seemingly unaware of their presence. She pressed a finger to her lips and pointed toward them. The brunette nodded and signaled to the rest of the group to be on the lookout as well.

The last building on the row happened to be a grocery store. Jesse tapped on the glass door just loudly enough to alert any biters inside but not enough to draw the attention of those that might be milling about on the streets nearby. It seemed quiet inside so the group slipped in, prying the sliding glass doors open.

"Ok, just like we've always done, two groups, start on the ends and meet back in the middle. Yell if there's trouble."

They split into two groups and went on their way filling their packs with what hadn't already been picked over. The group had been together long enough to have the runs down to a fairly efficient system. Beca was always a little nervous introducing new members but understood everyone had to pull their weight to keep the camp alive.

They met back in the middle of the store and surveyed the supplies they had found. They were just repacking everything when a car horn blaring outside caught their attention.

"Oh fuck." Beca hissed.

Biters were filling the street between the store and the SUV where Mike was frantically waving and honking the horn.

"Guys!" He yelled. "Biters, help!"

"No shit. He's drawing them from everywhere, that fucking idiot!" Uni yelled.

"Mike stop!" Chloe yelled. "Stop with the horn!"

It was impossible to hear her over the blaring horn and more biters were filing into the street.

"Shit, where are they all coming from?" Aubrey grunted as she pulled her hatchet and pistol free. Without a glance behind her, the blonde charged toward the closest biter and sank the blade into its forehead.

The rest of the group quickly followed suit and charged toward the scattered biters. They pushed their way back up the street clearing their way through the closest group of biters. Beca relaxed slightly at seeing a clear path back to the SUVs. The friends all glanced around as the last biter between them and the safety of the vehicles fell to be certain they were all safe and uninjured.

"Where's Stacie?" Aubrey asked suddenly.

They all turned quickly as if expecting to see the brunette right behind them. Aubrey felt her stomach drop as she continued to scan the surrounding area with no sign of her girlfriend. Biters were still appearing from around building corners and out of the surrounding woods trudging closer. They needed to leave, quickly. The blonde's frantic gaze finally settled on movement she spotted across the parking lot.

"Oh God." Aubrey muttered.

Stacie was crawling her way through a small opening in the battered doorway of the clothing store they had passed, a yellow sweater grasped tightly in her hand. She had gone back for the sweater. A stupid fucking sweater.

The brunette managed to pull herself through the small hole but was unprepared for the number of biters that had quickly descended. The glass from inside the store was also cracking under the weight of the biters trying to exit the building in pursuit of the fleeing woman.

"Stacie!" Aubrey screamed. The blonde took off at a sprint to where her girlfriend was quickly being swarmed across the parking lot.

The brunette let loose a terrifying screech as teeth sank into her shoulder. She twisted and fired her pistol frantically, desperate to clear a path through the biters closing in on her. The yellow sweater fluttered to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, Stacie could see Aubrey running at full speed towards her. The others weren't far behind. Pain shot up through her leg as yet another set of teeth found purchase in her flesh.

" _Aubrey_!" Stacie screamed in agony as her legs buckled. As she hit the pavement and rolled, she closed her eyes against the rotting corpses that descended upon her.

" _No_!"

Aubrey's scream caught the attention of a number of biters and they turned from Stacie and began to slump towards her. She viciously threw herself at them, plunging her hatchet into first one skull and then another. She grunted as she tried to pull the blade free, another biter lunging for her.

A shot rang out and the biter about to lunge for her arm fell to the ground, its head blown open. Chloe appeared at her side then, smoke still billowing from the barrel of her pistol. The redhead swung with her other hand and landed her machete into another one's forehead.

Aubrey wasted no time in moving on to the next biter between her and Stacie. The others had already joined as well and were helping dispose of the remaining undead. When they were finally cleared, all that remained was blood and guts and bodies.

Aubrey released an anguished cry as she dropped to the ground next to Stacie. The brunette was struggling to breathe, blood gurgling in her throat. Her abdomen was ripped open, her intestines spilling out onto the pavement beneath her. The biters had also nearly ripped her arm from her body where the teeth had sunk into the flesh of her shoulder.

"Stacie." Aubrey moaned through clenched teeth. She reached and brushed a few stray strands of hair from the brunette's forehead.

Stacie twitched on the ground and arched slightly, desperate to address the woman hovering above her. All she could manage was a gurgled whimper. Aubrey collapsed forward and pressed her lips to Stacie's head. She didn't notice Chloe behind her bend at her waist and retch onto the pavement, tears streaming down her cheeks. Beca stood close to her friend, her hand on her shoulder.

"Aub-" Stacie finally choked out, blood gurgling between her lips.

"Shh, shh." Aubrey hushed. "It's ok, you're ok baby."

The blonde glanced to her side where she saw Stacie desperately grasping for the pistol she had dropped. Her fingers grazed it but she was unable to get a solid grip on the weapon.

"Please." The brunette wheezed. "Help…me. Don't let me…be one of them…"

Aubrey choked out a sob and shook her head. "No, no, no, no. Stacie, please, please don't leave me. Please!"

"Aubrey." Stacie whispered, her voice ragged but steady. "I love you."

The blonde nodded, still crying and cupped Stacie's cheeks in desperation. "I love you too…so much."

"Then…help me." Stacie rasped before once again choking on the blood pooling in her throat.

Aubrey blinked her tears away and scanned her eyes down her lover's body. There was no denying the fact that Stacie would die. Her intestines were on the pavement and she was bleeding out from multiple wounds. She was dying. And then she would turn. But Aubrey steeled her nerves, determined that the woman she loved would have her death her own way.

She glanced to her side once again and saw that Stacie had managed to wrap her fingers around the small pistol that was lying next to her. But she didn't seem able to raise it any further, her strength fading. The blonde released a shaky breath but reached and wrapped her hand around Stacie's. Aubrey could have sworn she saw something akin to relief flash in the brunette's eyes as she helped lift Stacie's hand.

Her vision blurred through her tears as she helped position the pistol against Stacie's temple. The brunette's lips were curving into a smile as the shot sounded.

Aubrey screamed and collapsed forward onto Stacie's body. She gathered the brunette's bloody body into her arms and rocked, her face buried in the limp woman's neck. Aubrey was trembling when she finally released Stacie, covered in her blood. Her eyes landed on the pistol that had slipped from both their fingers.

With a feral scream, Aubrey lunged for the gun. Her fingers closed around the weapon and she lifted it toward her own head. But a flash of red slammed into her and the pistol clattered uselessly off to the side once again.

" _No_!" Aubrey screamed. She struggled to throw Chloe off of her but the redhead held on. "Let me go! Let me go with her! Get the fuck off of me!"

"No." Chloe cried, her arms wrapped around the blonde. "No Aubrey, stop. Stop."

"Fuck, we have got to go." Jesse hissed, eyeing their surroundings as more biters trudged closer, the sound attracting them.

Aubrey was wailing in Chloe's arms as the redhead tried to control her and keep her from harming herself. Jesse and Benji rushed them, each grabbing one of their arms as they tried to usher them back towards the vehicles as countless biters broke through the trees and came from around the corners of the buildings.

Chloe refused to release the blonde as the two were hefted from the ground and dragged back toward the waiting SUVs. Aubrey fell limp and Chloe grunted with the effort of keeping her arms around the woman as they were forced back in a rush, the biters following closely behind.

The blonde was still limp and unresponsive when the doors of the SUV slammed shut. They sped off back toward camp, the biters reaching after them with their empty stares and clawing hands.

Chloe tightened her grip on Aubrey as the SUV sped back toward their camp. The blonde remained limp in her arms, the pungent smell of blood that covered her filling the cabin of the truck. When they ground to a halt in the driveway of the bed and breakfast, Aubrey still remained motionless. Beca turned in the front seat and eyed both Chloe and the blonde sadly.

"Aubrey." Chloe whispered, her arms still wrapped tightly around the blonde in her lap. "Aubrey we're home."

The redhead blinked against tears as Aubrey remained unresponsive in her arms. The passenger door opened slowly and Jesse stepped closer. He gently scooped Aubrey into his arms and Chloe silently slipped out of the SUV behind him.

The members of the camp had all gathered at the rush of the SUVs as they returned to the camp. They stood staring and split a path as Jesse carried the blonde back toward the building, Chloe and Beca trailing along behind them.

He carried her back to her own room and gently deposited her onto the closest bed. Aubrey remained unmoving. Until her gaze settled on a knife on the night stand next to the bed. Jesse had barely released her when she threw herself toward the table with a strangled cry and scrambled to wrap her hand around the blade. Chloe jumped toward the blonde at the same time Jesse did and both rushed to wrestle the knife from Aubrey's hand. Chloe finally wrenched the blade free and slung it toward the door of Aubrey's room with a growl.

When the blonde realized she had been stopped once again, she dropped to the bed and covered her head with her arms and sobbed quietly into her pillow.

"Everything out." Chloe whispered. "Get everything out of here that she could use to hurt herself. _Now_!"

Amy and Benji scrambled to clear out the room as Chloe dropped into a chair across from Aubrey. She reached and dropped her hand to the blonde's shoulder. Aubrey didn't even bother to shrug her off, she simply buried her face deeper into the pillow.

xxxx

"Aubrey." Chloe finally said softly. "Sweetie, let's get you cleaned up ok?"

The blonde did not acknowledge her and simply remained on the bed unmoving.

Chloe sighed but stepped closer to the bed. In her hands she held a bowl of warm water and a wash cloth. Ashley stood close behind after draping a change of clothes over the chair by the door.

"Come on Aubrey, sit up please." Chloe continued. "Ashley is here too to check you over. We just want to make sure you're ok and get you cleaned up and then you can sleep ok?"

The redhead and Ashley exchanged a worried glance when Aubrey still didn't move. They stepped closer and Chloe reached for the blonde. Together, the two lifted the taller woman into a seated position. Aubrey didn't fight them.

Chloe swallowed down bile at the sight of Aubrey's blood stained clothing. The blonde even had remnants of Stacie's blood on her face, neck and hands. Aubrey continued to sit, unmoving, as the two undressed her.

Ashley examined the blonde for any injuries she hadn't disclosed and sighed in relief at finding none. Chloe nodded her thanks as the younger woman slipped quietly out of the room. The redhead dipped the wash cloth into the warm water and gently began to clean the blood from Aubrey's skin.

"I said I liked the sweater." Aubrey whispered as the redhead continued to gently bathe her. "And she went back for it. A fucking sweater… And now she's gone."

"I'm so sorry Aubrey." Chloe whispered in return.

The blonde simply blinked away tears but said nothing more.

Chloe sighed but continued to clean her friend. When she was finally finished wiping away the blood, she helped dress Aubrey in the clean t-shirt and sweat pants as well. Aubrey then dropped back to the bed and rolled onto her side, her back facing Chloe.

The redhead sighed but didn't push the other woman. Instead, she simply scooted a chair closer to the bed and settled in to keep watch over her friend.

xxxx

"Come on Aubrey, please?" Chloe cried, trying to spoon soup into the blonde's mouth. "It's been three days, you have to eat."

Aubrey had remained in bed for nearly three months since Stacie died and had largely refused to acknowledge anyone. Chloe had remained with her almost constantly, only leaving when she was certain someone else was available to keep watch over the blonde. Chloe also did her best to ignore the fact that the camp was struggling under the extra weight of having to cover not only Aubrey's responsibilities, but her own. But still she refused to leave. While Aubrey had made no more effort to end her own life, Chloe was not about to take any chances and insisted that someone be with the blonde at all times.

For the first few weeks, Aubrey had been mostly compliant. She would allow Chloe or Ashley to help bathe her and even eat a few bites of food before collapsing back onto the bed. But for the past three days, she had refused any and all attempts. It appeared that she had finally simply given up.

"Aubrey," Chloe continued. "You know we can't afford to waste food. This is yours…Donald made it for you special, no noodles. Come on, please? Just…take a few bites. For me?"

The blonde clenched her jaw and still refused to move. "Chloe, don't you understand?" Aubrey finally hissed. "I don't want to eat. I just want to be left alone. And yes, I want to die in peace. Why is that so fucking hard for you to understand? Just leave me alone."

Chloe sighed and let the spoon drop back into the bowl with a soft 'clink'. She felt tears stinging her eyes but she blinked them away. "I'm not asking you to get up or stop mourning or anything Aubrey. I'm just asking you to eat a few bites of soup that Donald made especially for you. We all care about you Aubrey. _I_ care about you!"

"If you care about me leave me alone." The blonde replied, the bite from her tone fading slightly. "Stacie's gone. I want to go too. This fucking, miserable world isn't worth living in. So yes, I want to die and leave all this mess behind. And if you actually care about me, you'll leave me alone or better yet, bring me a pistol."

"No." Chloe said firmly. "Actually, I care about you too much to let you go. In fact…I love you Aubrey. I have for a long time. And I don't want to see you die! Be as sad as you want over losing Stacie, I get it. But you're not alone Aubrey. We're all here for you…I'm here for you. I'm still your best friend right? Does that not count for anything? I _love_ you! I'm in love-"

Aubrey sighed wearily. "Stop Chloe. Just stop. You're not in love with me. I know you think you are…even thought so back at Barden, but you weren't. I had to tell Stacie all the time that you weren't actually in love with me. I don't have the energy to keep telling you too Chloe so just don't ok? You're not in love with me. We're friends, that's all we've ever been. I love… _loved_ Stacie."

Chloe felt as if the air had been knocked from her lungs. She blinked back tears as Aubrey's words sank in. She had known all along how Chloe felt. The redhead stood from the edge of the bed and placed the bowl of cooling soup on the nightstand next to her.

"I know you love Stacie." She said, her voice soft. "And I would never try to take her place. But you're wrong about one thing. We weren't just friends…we were _best_ friends. I was there for you when your father kicked you out, when you threw up in the middle of a stupid fucking singing competition, and when you caught Stacie with that football player. I'm not just your friend Aubrey, I'm your best friend. I'm just sorry you don't think that's anything worth living for."

Aubrey clenched her jaw again at the sound of Chloe exiting the room and closing the door softly behind her. It was the first time Aubrey had been left alone in months. She sighed as she glanced around the now empty room. Instead of searching for some way to finally end her suffering, Aubrey simply closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

xxxx

Beca glanced up in surprise at the sight of Chloe quickly walking past, heading for the front lobby doors. The brunette quickly scrambled after her friend.

"Chloe? Chloe wait!"

The redhead didn't slow even as she made her way outside. She had made it nearly to the first gate before Beca finally caught up to her and pulled her to a stop.

"Chloe? What the fuck? Is Aubrey-"

"Aubrey's fine." Chloe hissed, tears of both sorrow and anger spilling down her cheeks. "She wants to die, let her die. It's her choice, not mine."

Beca grabbed Chloe's shoulders and tried to force the clearly upset woman to collect herself and explain what had happened. "What's going on? Is anyone with her?"

The redhead tried to steady her breathing and brushed at the tears. She shook her head. "No. She's alone. That's how she wants it. I told her I love her and she didn't care. She doesn't care. I'm not enough to make her want to live. I can't make her want to live so I give up. If she wants to die, I have to let her."

"Shit." Beca replied softly. "Shit Chloe, I'm sorry."

Chloe seemed ready to shrug the smaller woman off and continue to storm her way off the safety of the fenced in grounds. The brunette fisted her shirt in her hand and held her steady.

"Chloe, stop, listen to me. She's hurting, you know that. She just needs more time. And yes, it has to be her decision to live. But you can't go off and do something stupid because she's hurting and lashed out. She loves you, you know that. Maybe not like she loves Stacie but Aubrey loves you. And she'll eventually come around but this…fucking zombies and her girlfriend dying…it's a lot to handle. But I need you to come back inside with me ok? Come on Chloe, come back inside…we all need you."

The redhead finally nodded, seemingly calmer.

"Yeah?" Beca asked, still reluctant to release her friend. "Chloe, I can't lose you. We kind of count on you, little Miss Fucking Sunshine. Everyone here loves you. Hell, I love you. If I were gay, I'd be totally gay for you."

Chloe finally snorted out a laugh as the tension, and energy, seemed to drain from her body. She nodded. "Yeah you would. You were almost there too…I remember those looks in the shower. Too bad Tom, or whatever his name was, interrupted."

"I knew it!" Beca exclaimed. "You weren't interested in my voice at all. I feel so used."

Chloe choked out a laugh and threw her arms around the smaller woman. "I love you too by the way."

Beca squeezed her tightly before reluctantly releasing her friend. Instead of letting Chloe go completely however, the brunette kept her arm wrapped firmly around the taller woman's waist.

The two walked slowly back toward the house where Beca deposited Chloe with Jesse and Benji, wordlessly motioning for her boyfriend to keep an eye on her. Jesse nodded slightly and quickly pulled the redhead into conversation. Beca smiled and swiped a fresh bowl of steaming soup from the table before narrowing her eyes and turning on her heel.

She made her way to Aubrey's room and squared her shoulders before pushing the door open. For Chloe's sake, Beca hoped Aubrey hadn't done something stupid. Chloe would never forgive herself if the first time she left the blonde alone, Aubrey had finally ended her own life. She dropped the fresh bowl of soup on the night stand next to the cold bowl.

Beca sighed in relief as Aubrey's eyes fluttered open upon hearing the brunette stomp closer. "Aubrey."

The blonde groaned and once again let her eyes drift closed. "Did Chloe send you in here? For fuck's sake, can I not just be left alone to die in peace?"

"No." Beca replied. "Chloe didn't send me. I came on my own to make sure you haven't done something stupid."

Aubrey simply groaned again as she rolled to her other side and turned her back to Beca. The brunette clenched her fists and stepped around the bed, refusing to speak to the back of Aubrey's head.

"Look Aubrey…take all the time you need. Stay in here, mourn, whatever. But you do not get to die. Do you hear me? Chloe loves you whether you want to hear it or not and even whether I want her to or not. She wants you alive so you stay alive, is that clear? Chloe is one of the only good things left in this world and you cannot strip her hope away from her. We're all counting on it. So stay in here as long as you like but you will stay alive for Chloe. Hopefully she'll eventually get over you and find someone else but you'll always be her best friend so you stay alive for her. Now…I'm going to check and make sure Cynthia Rose and Lily are set for watch tonight and when I come back…half of this bowl of soup had better be gone."

Beca turned on her heel and stomped out before giving Aubrey the chance to respond. Not that she expected the blonde to actually answer. When Beca checked back in on Aubrey a half an hour later, she smirked at seeing a decent portion of the soup missing from the bowl. She smirked but didn't say anything as she left the room and closed the door behind her.

xxxx

Chloe quietly slipped into Aubrey's room on her way out to go on a run. It had been almost a week since she had last checked on the blonde but the remaining Bellas made certain to bring meals and check on her a few times a day. "Do you need anything before I leave?"

The blonde forced her eyes open but barely spared a glance at the other woman before they drifted closed once again. "No."

Chloe bit her bottom lip worriedly, wondering if she had made a mistake in leaving Aubrey alone for so long. But the blonde had wanted space so Chloe had given it to her.

"Aubrey-"

"I'm fine. Just go Chloe."

The redhead once again glanced around to make certain there was nothing that could be used as a weapon for Aubrey to hurt herself with. Her eyes fell on the half eaten dinner from the night before. Chloe silently stepped further into the room and picked up the dish. "Ok. Well, I'll come by to check on you later when I get back."

Aubrey didn't respond. Chloe sighed and slipped out of the room once again but made certain to leave the door open.

She headed down the stairs after gathering the last of the supplies she would need while out on the run. She checked again to be certain both her pistol and machete were strapped to her belt. The redhead slipped her pack onto her back and stepped out into the sunlight where Beca and Jesse were waiting. Cynthia Rose and Amy followed shortly.

"Alright, let's go." Jesse said with a nod toward the waiting SUV.

They drove further to the south than they had previously been, hoping to locate fresh supplies. They had been on the road for nearly 45 minutes when they spotted a utility truck sitting, seemingly abandoned on the side of the road.

"Let's see if there's any gasoline or other supplies in the back."

Beca nodded in agreement as Jesse pulled their SUV to a stop on the opposite side of the road. The others also slipped out and glanced around looking for any sign of trouble.

Jesse, Amy, and Cynthia Rose headed to the truck to see what supplies they could gather while something a short distance away caught Beca's attention and she headed toward it, her pistol already in her hand. Chloe watched her walking off and saw what appeared to be a metal coil of some sort glinting in the sunlight ahead. The redhead followed a short distance behind Beca.

Her stomach dropped as the familiar groaning of biters met her ears.

"Is that what I think it is?" Chloe called from behind Beca as the shorter woman rounded to the far side of the metal coil.

The brunette grimaced and nodded as she slipped her pistol back into the holster. "Yep. That is a pit full of biters."

The redhead approached the pit on the opposite side of the opening from where Beca was standing and stepped as close to it as she could get without getting snagged on the coil of razor wire surrounding the opening. The pit itself was at about ten feet by eight feet and had at least twenty biters in it. It was also about eight feet deep so that while the biters could not climb out, there certainly wasn't a lot of room from the top of the pit to their reaching arms and gnashing teeth.

"Why would someone do this?" Chloe muttered. "Why keep a pit full of them? Someone went to a lot of trouble to dig this thing and then get 'em in there."

"Yeah and conveniently with an abandoned truck nearby. I don't think they're anyone I want to stick around to meet so let's tell them to forget the truck and get the hell out here. This feels like a trap."

The brunette turned on her heel but stopped abruptly as her toe nudged something buried under a thin layer of leaves and a clinking sound met her ear. Beca glanced down in confusion. When she realized what she had bumped her eyes widened. " _Shit_ , Chloe don't move!"

Chloe startled at the shorter woman's exclamation and quickly turned to face her friend. There was a sickening snapping sound before she registered the pain shooting up her body. With a pained cry, the redhead toppled over into the razor wire with the top half of her body dangling precariously into the pit.

"Shit, Chloe!" Beca screamed, quickly rounding the side of the large opening. "Jesse, help!"

The brunette dove and grabbed for Chloe before the other woman could fall further into the gaping hole in the ground. Beca hissed as the razor wire dug into her own thighs and she desperately clutched for a firm hold on her friend.

"Beca!" Chloe screamed. The biters had swarmed and were all grabbing at her as she flailed. She could smell their rotting flesh and felt bony fingers grazing her as they clawed desperately at their next meal.

"I've got you Chloe." Beca grunted. "You're not going to fall, I won't let you. I've got you! _Fuck_ … _Jesse_!"

Jesse, Amy, and Cynthia Rose finally reached them and each clambered for their friends, desperately tugging them both back and away from the pit of biters.

Chloe screamed again at the feel of the razor wire slicing into her leg as she was pulled away from the pile. The sharp talons simply dug in deeper to her flesh as the strand she was tangled in constricted around her leg. But that pain was nothing compared to the pain of the large square metal trap that she had stepped into. Two rows of metal teeth had impaled her leg, one just above her ankle, the other just below her knee.

"Fuck, get it off, get it off!" Chloe wailed, frantically thrashing against both the wire and the trap.

Beca ignored the cuts to her own thighs and abdomen and threw herself on top of the redhead and attempted to hold her steady. "Chloe stop, you have to stay still. The more you move, the more the wire will cut you ok?"

"Fuck, she's right Chloe, stop moving!" Jesse hissed as he took in the full view of her injuries. Her left leg was mangled and bloody.

"That does not look kosher." Amy muttered at the sight.

Cynthia Rose quickly elbowed her. "Ok, Beca, hold her still. Jesse, we're going to pry open the trap and when we do, Amy you lift her leg out. Got it?"

They all nodded and positioned themselves. The rusty trap was stiff with age and the two of them grunted against the weight of it. Their muscles strained as they finally pried the teeth apart. Amy lifted Chloe's leg up and away just as the two lost their grip on the metal trap and it snapped shut once again.

At the rough movement and the feel of the razor wire once again slicing into her leg, Chloe twisted with a groan and vomited onto the ground.

Bare bone could be seen even through the bloody mess that was the redhead's mangled leg. Beca felt bile rising at the sight. "Easy, it's ok." She mumbled.

Jesse fumbled and tried to untangle the wire from Chloe's leg. He hissed as it cut into his hands but he continued to try and remove it from their friend's leg.

The sudden sound of a loud car engine approaching made them all freeze.

"I don't think we want to wait and see if that's the person or _group_ that made a pit for biters." Beca mumbled, still trying to hold Chloe still.

Jesse clenched his jaw before he pushed himself off the ground and sprinted back the relatively short distance toward the SUV. He jumped into the driver seat and pulled the vehicle closer so Chloe wouldn't have as far to go. He sprinted back to them seconds later with wire cutters and began snipping the wire strands haphazardly. "Ashley can dig the rest out when we get back to camp but we have to get the fuck out of here."

In the distance the friends could see a dust cloud forming as the vehicle approaching drew closer. Jesse ignored Chloe's cries of pain as he scooped her up from the ground and broke into a run for the SUV, the rest of the group steps behind him.

"Hold on!" He yelled as they settled in and he stomped on the gas pedal.

Beca tried her best to hold Chloe still but the dirt road was uneven and rugged at best. She settled in behind the redhead and wrapped her arms around her tightly, not sure if she was trying to comfort her friend or herself. "Hang on Chloe, we'll be there soon."

Chloe was practically trembling as she tried to breathe through the pain of her mangled leg. "Shit that looks bad!" she hissed. "Is that bone? I don't think it should look like that…"

"No shit it shouldn't." Amy muttered with a grimace.

"Don't look at it Chloe." Beca said, squeezing the redhead tightly. "It's ok, it's just your leg. You're going to be fine. Ashley can fix it! It's just a leg wound…You won't die from a leg wound."

Chloe nodded frantically against the brunette's shoulder as she clenched her jaw against the pain. "I hope you're right. Aubrey, she…she wouldn't take losing me very well."

"Aubrey wouldn't take it well?" Beca cried incredulously. "Fuck Aubrey, _I_ wouldn't take it very well!"

Chloe squeezed Beca's arms that were holding her tightly before once again crying out in pain as the truck hit yet another dip in the road.

xxxx

Aubrey's eyes fluttered open at some distant noise. It sounded like some kind of a commotion. She thought maybe there was even a scream. But she couldn't be sure. She didn't have the energy to think about it. With a soft sigh, she let her eyes drift closed once again.

Until the sound of heavy footsteps thudding against the hardwood floor of the old manor home met her ears. She blinked her eyes open and squinted slightly to make out Beca standing in front of her. The brunette's shirt was ripped and stained with blood and she looked angry. Beca eyed her momentarily before dropping into the chair directly across from her bed.

"What do you want?" Aubrey whispered hoarsely.

"We went on a run." Beca replied flatly.

Aubrey simply blinked, offering no other indication that she had heard.

"Jesse, Amy, Cynthia Rose, me…and Chloe." Beca continued, her eyes narrowing. "We had a little trouble. Did you hear us when we got back a few minutes ago?"

"I heard noise. You woke me up." Aubrey muttered as her eyes drifted closed once again. She was too tired to keep them open any longer.

Beca clenched her jaw and released a hiss before standing to her feet. The abrupt movement caused Aubrey's eyes to snap open once again.

"Aren't you going to ask what the noise was or if everyone is alright…if _Chloe_ is alright? Or do you even care?" Beca snapped.

Aubrey sighed as Beca's words finally registered and she understood what Beca was trying to relay. Something bad had happened. To Chloe. She should care. Chloe was her best friend. But unfortunately, the blonde felt nothing. She blinked slowly. Of course she didn't want Chloe to be hurt. No one could want harm to come to Chloe of all people but Aubrey was too exhausted to feel anything. She had nothing left. Besides…Maybe it was for the best. This world wasn't worth living in. Maybe Chloe was better off.

"Is she dead?" The blonde finally replied, emotionless.

The brunette clenched her fists so tightly she could feel her nails digging into her palms as she struggled to control her own emotions. "Not yet." She said harshly. "But she's hurt pretty badly. She'll be lucky to keep her leg…if she doesn't die from an infection or fucking bleed to death first."

Beca quickly stepped around the bed and strode to the door, her steps heavy and angry. She stopped in the doorway before leaving however. "Ya know," she said, stepping back toward the bed where the blonde had remained for months on end, still with her back turned, "there are a lot of people in this camp that would be every bit as torn up over Chloe dying as you are Stacie. But Chloe doesn't see any of them…she only sees you. So she might like to see you right now when she's hurting if you can bother to get your ass up and out of that bed."

Aubrey let her eyes drift closed once again as the sound of Beca's boot clad steps faded from earshot. The blonde sighed. Her mind involuntarily drifted back to the first day she had met Chloe. They were freshmen. Aubrey had all but insisted on a private room but as a freshman she had little say and found herself unfortunately paired with another incoming freshman, a Chloe Beale. She had tried her hardest to dislike the other girl. But the redhead had a way of putting her at ease, of breaking through her barriers. And by the end of their first semester, the two were inseparable.

They were complete opposites, Chloe all sunshine and rainbows, Aubrey serious and often prone to melancholy. Except when Chloe was around. They studied together, went to parties together. Even auditioned for the Bellas together. They were best friends.

Aubrey had noticed the subtle changes in the way Chloe reacted to her and even acted around her as the years passed. But she refused to believe it was more than the love of a best friend. She was too busy for a relationship anyway and Chloe would be off to her next crush any day now. It was no secret everyone loved Chloe and she could have her pick of suitors, both male and female.

And then she and Stacie were together. And the sexy brunette was all Aubrey could think of. She was consumed. But still Chloe was there, for every fight she and Stacie had, for every slight from her father. Chloe had stuck by her side even after it was clear that Aubrey was in love with Stacie and the redhead stopped going to bed with random people. The blonde hadn't wanted to think of why Chloe was suddenly celibate.

She owed Chloe. They were best friends once. She owed her a goodbye at least if Chloe really was dying. She was a Posen and Posen's were people of honor and duty. Even in the midst of an apocalypse.

Aubrey's body ached as she pushed herself to an upright position. The room swirled and she had to drop her head to fight the wave of dizziness. But still she pushed herself to her feet with a groan, her muscles screaming. Aubrey slowly made her way to the doorway, clutching the bed and a desk against the wall for support. She followed the only sounds she could make out down the hallway to where she vaguely remembered Ashley had set up her nursing station of sorts.

When she peeked into the room bustling with commotion, the blonde felt bile rising in her throat. Chloe was on the bed, covered in sweat and blood and appeared to be in agony. Aubrey chanced a glance at the redhead's left leg and had to quickly look away from the vision of mangled flesh and bone protruding.

Beca was at the head of the bed holding onto Chloe's shoulders while the redhead screamed and writhed on the bed in pain. Amy was holding the woman by her hips to help keep her steady as Ashley attempted to clean and treat the badly damaged leg. Razor wire could be seen still wrapped around Chloe's calf from where she had gotten ensnared from the fall. The large animal trap had been enough to snap the bone in the woman's leg and the razor wire she had fallen into had left her leg a bloody and mangled mess.

Aubrey once again swallowed against the bile rising in her throat and pushed herself away from the doorframe. She stumbled toward the bed, causing the women tending to Chloe to glance up in surprise. Chloe herself was in too much pain to register the blonde approaching.

The expression on Beca's face was unreadable as Aubrey dropped onto the edge of the bed and leaned over Chloe. She reached and slipped one hand into the redhead's, squeezing tightly. She dropped her other hand onto Chloe's sweaty brow and gently stroked her head.

"Chloe." Aubrey said quietly, so quietly it seemed odd amidst the hustle and bustle of the makeshift hospital room.

The redhead seemed to calm instantly as she gazed up at Aubrey. "Bree." She whispered.

The blonde smiled sadly and nodded. "I'm here Chloe. I'm here. Just…hang on, they're gonna fix you right up."

Chloe nodded tearfully. Beca wasn't certain whether Chloe simply didn't want to argue with her friend now that she was finally up or if she actually did believe the junior nursing student with no real experience would in fact be able to fix her mangled leg. Either way, Chloe forced a smile and held Aubrey's hand in a death grip.

"Stay with me?" Chloe choked out through the pain. "Promise."

Aubrey clenched her jaw but nodded. "I promise."

"Hang on Chloe." Ashley said. She sounded miles away to both of them as they held each other's gazes. "This is going to hurt."

xxxx

By the time the sun rose the following morning, Chloe had long since succumbed to the pain and was unconscious. Ashley had managed to remove all of the razor wire shreds and had reset the broken bone to the best of her ability with a makeshift splint in place. But the threat of infection was still serious and the redhead was already fighting a fever.

Aubrey remained by her side and gently sponged Chloe's sweaty brow and neck with a cloth and cold water that was in constant supply thanks to the other camp mates.

Beca stood at the foot of the bed and scowled at Aubrey as the blonde continued to bathe Chloe. The taller woman seemed content to ignore Beca even though she could feel her angry gaze drilling into the back of her head.

xxxx

Days passed and Aubrey remained with Chloe. Mainly because Ashley had all but ordered her to if there was any hope of Chloe surviving. She was in charge of trying to keep the redhead's fever under control by sponging her with cool water. She also cleaned the redhead's mangled leg every hour in between checkups from Ashley. Somehow, even with little to no medication, the redhead was fighting through the infection. Her sleep was fitful at best but still Aubrey remained with her, changing her bandages and cleaning her wounds, ignoring her own exhaustion.

"How is she?" Beca asked softly on the third day.

Aubrey barely spared her a glance as she struggled to calm the redhead. Chloe was caught somewhere between wakefulness and sleep, her fever sending her into fits of delirium. The blonde grunted as she once again forced Chloe to lie back onto the bed.

"Aubrey? Aubrey is that you?"

"Yes, Chloe." The blonde replied wearily. "I'm here. Just lie back ok? You should rest."

"Why don't you let me sit with her for a while?" Beca asked. "You look rough…go get some sleep."

Aubrey just shook her head. "She'll wear herself out and settle down soon enough. I'll sleep then."

"Aubrey! Please don't leave me…don't leave me here please! I love you!"

Beca caught the pained look that flashed on Aubrey's face but the blonde quickly schooled her features back to apparent apathy.

"I love you Aubrey, I do!" Chloe cried desperately. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but you could love me back, you could! Stacie-"

"Stop Chloe, just rest." Aubrey snapped impatiently. She clenched her jaw as she once again dropped the washcloth into the pan of cool water. Her breath was shaky as she slapped the wet cloth onto the redhead's forehead more roughly than she intended.

Beca started to protest but Chloe simply nodded finally and settled back onto the pillows. Within minutes she again succumbed to the fitful sleep that had been plaguing her for days as the fever continued. Aubrey sighed tiredly but continued to bathe the other woman, much more gently as Chloe simply muttered incoherently in her sleep.

xxxx

After nearly five days, Chloe's fever broke and she finally fell into a more restful sleep. She slept for nearly another full day with Aubrey and Beca both waiting for her to regain consciousness. Finally after nearly six days, a noise from the bed caught the blonde's attention after she had just roused from her spot napping in the chair next to the bed.

Chloe moaned as she finally stirred from her slumber. Aubrey moved and sat next to her, and gently wiped a cool cloth over the injured woman's forehead and chest as glassy blue eyes finally blinked open. It took Chloe a few moments for her senses to return and her vision to clear.

"Aubrey."

The blonde nodded without smiling. But still she continued to wipe Chloe's brow with the cool cloth.

"I'm not dead?" Chloe continued weakly.

Aubrey quirked a brow and shook her head. "If I'm not allowed to die in peace you sure as hell aren't."

Chloe choked out a laugh but quickly winced as the movement jostled the bed and shot pain through her leg. She reached for Aubrey's hand and squeezed it until the pain subsided slightly. The blonde eyed her warily as Chloe finally relaxed again. When Chloe sighed deeply as the pain eased, Aubrey then stood to her feet and quickly headed for the door.

"Try not to move too much." She called over her shoulder. "I'll go down to the kitchen to see if I can find some soup. You should get something on your stomach. I'm sorry we don't have much to give you for the pain."

She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her before giving Chloe a chance to respond. When she was safely away from the redhead, Aubrey took a moment to steady herself. She had rejoined the world of the living nearly a week ago to tend to her friend. It had been a brief distraction from the pain of Stacie's memory. But now Aubrey wasn't certain how to proceed.

"Hey." Aubrey startled slightly at the sound of Beca approaching. "What's wrong? Oh God Chloe, is she-"

"She's awake." The blonde replied quickly at seeing the flash of fear on the smaller woman's face. "She's better. She should get something on her stomach so I was just going down to the kitchen to see if we have any soup or broth or something."

Beca nodded and smiled in relief. "That's great, thanks. I was just coming to check on her so I'll sit with her til you get back."

Aubrey nodded and turned away but only made it a few steps before Beca called for her once again. She turned back to the brunette expectantly.

"Aubrey…I'm…I'm really sorry about Stacie. And also sorry I didn't say so before. I know you loved her very much."

Aubrey blinked rapidly against the sudden sting she felt to her eyes and the painful clench to her heart. She nodded again.

"And thanks for taking care of Chloe. She's still going to need you, ya know."

The blonde sighed. "I'll go see what we have in the kitchen. You might want to see if Ashley has anything to give her for the pain. And we'll need to find crutches of some kind for when she's up again."

Beca nodded and watched the taller woman walk away. Aubrey hurried down the stairs in escape. Instead of heading for the kitchen though, the blonde veered and rushed outside and nearly collapsed on the steps of the front entrance as she tried to steady her breathing and regain her composure.

She barely noticed when Benji dropped to the ground next to her and draped an arm around her shoulders.

"She's either passed or she's awake and doing better." He said. "Otherwise you'd still be in there with her. So which is it?"

Aubrey exhaled slowly and brushed her hair back from her face with shaking hands as she straightened her posture and squared her shoulders. "She's awake."

"Ah that's great news!" Benji exclaimed, giving the thin woman's shoulder a squeeze. "Really great! I'm glad we don't have to go through losing her…Chloe means a lot to all of us. But I'm glad you don't especially. You've lost enough."

Aubrey exhaled shakily.

Benji eyed her sadly, still with his arm around her shoulders. "Jesse said when they were driving back with her, after she got hurt, that Chloe was worried about you."

Aubrey glanced at him in surprise. "Me?"

"Yep." He said with a nod. "She said she hoped she didn't die because you wouldn't handle losing her very well. She cares about you a lot."

"Too much." Aubrey finally replied before she pushed herself to her feet and quickly headed to the kitchen. Benji stared after her sadly.

xxxx

"Jeez Red, attention whore much?" Amy said with a smirk later that evening.

Chloe chuckled tiredly, still prone on the bed. Beca and Aubrey had remained close by the remainder of the day as she napped and ate as much of the broth that Donald prepared as she could. That evening the friends were gathered in her room to see for themselves that she was in fact still among the living.

"Don't worry girl, chicks dig scars." Cynthia Rose said with a suggestive waggle of her brow.

Before the redhead could reply, a voice sounded from the doorway of her room. "Hey there Chloe!"

Benji grinned widely as he stepped closer to the bed. In his hands the man was carrying a pair of wooden crutches. They appeared old and weathered but the handles and braces for under the arms were wrapped with fresh, clean material.

"We found these on a run this afternoon, can you believe it?" He continued excitedly. "They were in an old farmhouse just hanging on a wall above a fireplace. Just a random decoration. Jesse and I cleaned them up and rewrapped the padding so they're good as new. Now all you have to do is get a little stronger and you'll be back on your feet in no time!"

Chloe smiled again, somewhat sadly, as she eyed her crutches. "Thanks Benji, that was really sweet of you. I'm sure I'll be up and hobbling around on those in a few days."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes at the sad look on the redhead's face. "Ok everyone." She quickly announced. "Chloe needs to rest so…out. Ashley still needs to change the bandages one more time tonight too. Let's go."

The friends waved goodnight and filed out of the room leaving Beca and Aubrey behind. Chloe smiled and waved to her friends but as soon as they left, her gaze settled back on the crutches leaning against the chair in the corner.

"Hey." Beca said softly, following Chloe's sad gaze. "What's wrong? Those will be great until your leg heals. And it will ya know…it's gonna be ok."

Chloe forced a smile to her face and nodded. But it was clear she was still troubled.

"So you won't be able to go on runs for a while or do some of the more manual labor." Beca continued, shrugging a shoulder. "There's plenty to do around here. There's plenty you can still do to help Chloe."

The redhead's lip began to tremble and she turned her head as she attempted to hide her tears. "Life is hard enough now ya know? I just don't want to make it harder. That's all. No one should have to worry about protecting me because I'm crippled when biters finally get in here. What good am I if I can't even walk? Maybe it would have been better if-"

"No." Beca hissed. "You shut the fuck up, do you hear me?"

Chloe and Aubrey both snapped their gaze to the brunette in surprise at her outburst.

"You clearly need more pain killers." Beca continued. "You're not a burden Chloe. We all want you here, whether you can walk or not. Everyone in this camp will be more than happy to protect you _if_ biters ever get in. You know why? Because you are little miss fucking sunshine and you've done just as much to keep this place going as anyone here. We all love you so shut the fuck up and don't you dare think about dying again. Or I will kick your ginger ass. Are we clear?"

Chloe clamped her mouth shut and nodded, her blue eyes wide at her friend's rant. Beca nodded once in return, satisfied with the redhead's response.

"Ok," Aubrey said, straightening her shoulders. "Beca, go find Ashley would you? Chloe's bandages need to be changed and then we all need to get some rest ok?"

Beca nodded again and quietly slipped out of the room.

Aubrey watched her go before shifting her gaze back to Chloe. The redhead refused to meet her eye. The taller woman simply sighed and settled back into the chair by the bed to wait for Ashley to once again return to tend to Chloe's wounded leg.

xxxx

"Easy." Aubrey said softly as she helped settle Chloe onto the extra bed in her room. The redhead still begrudgingly needed a significant amount of help after the injury to her leg and Beca had volunteered Aubrey. There was a spare bed in the blonde's room that had gone unused and it made sense for Chloe to move into Aubrey's room until she was stronger.

"This is just for a little while." Chloe said softly, still uncomfortable with the new arrangement and being dependent on others. Plus she had declared her love for Aubrey, only to be rejected. And Aubrey had made no indication that she had any further interest in living. As much as the redhead wanted to be a reason to keep the blonde going, she also didn't want to be a burden.

Aubrey quirked a brow at Chloe's statement but didn't acknowledge her comment. "Do you need anything? I can grab something from the kitchen if you're hungry or…"

"No." The redhead responded quietly. "I'm fine. You don't have to do anything, I don't want to be any trouble."

The blonde eyed Chloe warily. "Look, Chloe…you can stay here with me as long as you want…you're not any trouble to me. And I'm glad you're ok. Like Beca says…you're one of the only decent things left in this world. You give this place hope so…I may not be happy to still be stuck here myself, but I suppose I'm glad you are."

Chloe timidly lifted her gaze to meet Aubrey's. She nodded slightly with a shrug, still uncomfortable with having to depend on anyone, even if it was the oldest friend she had left.

"Besides," Aubrey continued, eyeing Chloe. "Where else would you go? With Beca and Jesse? I'm sure they would love a third wheel. You're my best friend…it's only fitting you end up here with me. So you might as well just get over whatever this is you're feeling worried about or whatever…you're stuck with me."

The blonde finally relaxed slightly at the sight of a smile pulling at Chloe's lips. "You promise?" The redhead whispered. "You promise you won't leave?"

 _You promise you won't leave_ me _?_

The redhead's unspoken word hung in the air. Aubrey sighed but nodded. "I promise."

Chloe did finally smile then and nodded. "I'm going to hold you to that promise Aubrey Posen."

The blonde didn't return Chloe's smile but she simply nodded again. Aubrey then realized the solitary life she had chosen for herself these last few months was over.

 **End Part One**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – Thanks for reading! The usual disclaimer, I don't own anything you recognize. I also didn't see the 2nd movie before writing this so the new characters are nowhere to be seen. Sorry again for any mistakes.

 **PART 2**

 _Don't be scared._

 _I'm still here._

 _No more time for crying dear._

 _xxxx_

 _It was happening. What the doomsday preppers and fanatics had been threatening for years really but the government and Center for Disease Control had been denying. It was finally happening. An outbreak was spreading and wreaking havoc. They weren't certain how the first person became infected. Only that whatever this was had spread like wildfire._

 _A few people had taken the warnings seriously and had developed evacuation plans. Most had not been so wise. Thankfully for those at Barden University, Benjamin Applebaum had been preparing for just such a catastrophe. He had even convinced Jesse to agree to a meeting place in the event that the unthinkable should occur. Jesse had even promised to spread the word to their friends about the safe location to meet. No one expected to actually need to seek safety at an abandoned railway station five miles outside of town in the middle of nowhere. But then their campus was overrun with biters._

 _Aubrey kept a deathly tight grip on her girlfriend's hand as the van they were traveling in screeched to a halt in front of the run down building. A number of people had already gathered there. The blonde stumbled out of the car, her body still trembling from what she had witnessed just minutes prior. She had seen her classmates ripped to shreds by those monsters, like something out of horror movie. She lurched and vomited on the side of the road. Stacie placed a gentle hand on her back._

" _Where's Benji?" Jesse mumbled as he looked around for his best friend. "Meeting here was his fucking idea, where the hell is he? He has to be here!"_

" _Aubrey!"_

 _The blonde clenched her jaw in an attempt to ward off another bout of bile rising in her throat and lifted her gaze to where the small brunette was slowly approaching her. Aubrey quickly glanced behind Beca expecting to see a head of wild red hair. She frowned at only the sight of Jesse behind the shorter woman._

" _Beca?" Aubrey whispered. "Where's Chloe?"_

 _Beca squared her shoulders and swallowed thickly but there was no hiding the pain and worry evident in her face. "She's not with you? I-I thought maybe she was with you Aubrey…"_

 _Anger flashed in the blonde's eyes and she lunged for the shorter woman. "What do you mean? She's not here? Where the fuck is she Beca? She was with you ten minutes before this fucking mess started, where the hell is she?"_

 _Beca grunted as the blonde shoved her backwards into one of the parked vehicles. Jesse quickly scrambled to separate the two but Aubrey kept a firm grip on the collar of the shorter woman's shirt even after Stacie too rushed to pull them apart._

" _I don't know where she is!" Beca cried, a pained look once again on her face. "She took off, I assumed to find you, and then shit went down. I didn't know how to find her! And then everyone was screaming and running and I didn't know what the fuck to do! It's not like people go ape shit and start eating each other's faces off every day!"_

 _Aubrey finally released the brunette and stumbled away, Stacie close behind her. The blonde closed her eyes and forced images of Chloe dead or worse, one of_ them _, from her mind. She was her best friend. She had to be alive. "We have to go back. We have to go back for her."_

 _Beca nodded quickly and stepped closer. "Ok, we'll take one of the cars. We'll find her-"_

 _The sound of yet another vehicle speeding closer drew the group's attention toward the bend in the road a short distance away. They watched anxiously as the car came to an abrupt halt, dirt and dust swirling. The back door of the car quickly swung open._

 _Aubrey felt her heart clench as the redhead quickly stumbled from out of the back of the vehicle, the sunlight glinting off of her already fiery hair. Her shirt was splattered with blood and she seemed to be bracing herself against the car._

 _Chloe glanced up in time to see both Aubrey and Beca rushing toward her. She threw her arms around the tall blonde who reached her first and held on tightly._

" _Chloe." Aubrey whimpered, refusing to release the shorter woman._

" _I'm here." Chloe whispered. "I'm ok. I'm still here."_

 _She pulled herself away just enough to also pull Beca in for a hug as well. The three stood huddled close together, still unable to make sense of what was happening around them._

" _Help, he's been bit!"_

 _Aubrey felt a shiver tear through Chloe and the redhead clenched her jaw, fighting tears._

 _They glanced over Chloe's shoulder where Cynthia Rose was still in the back seat of the car with her hands pressed to Kolio's neck. Benji was already scrambling from the driver's seat. He and Jesse reached to help pull the injured man from the car. Cynthia Rose followed quickly behind._

" _Oh God." Kolio muttered, his words catching around the blood pooling in his throat._

 _Cynthia Rose once again pressed her hands to his gaping wound as blood continued to seep through her fingers. He released a choked cough, blood and spit gurgling. And then he was still._

" _Dude…" Cynthia Rose whispered. "He's dead."_

 _Benji quickly sprang into action. "Supplies, weapons…we need weapons." He popped the trunk of the car and began digging through looking for anything of use._

 _Another car pulling to a stop once again provided a distraction and the friends shuffled closer as Denise, Ashley, Fat Amy and Donald spilled from the car._

 _Ashley quickly rushed to where Kolio was on the ground. "Is he?"_

 _Cynthia Rose pushed herself to her feet and shook her head with a sick look on her face. "Don't bother. You can't help him."_

 _The brunette squatted next to the young man, unable to take her eyes from his bloody form. She was in her junior year of nursing at Barden. But nothing she had seen in her studies could prepare her for what was in front of her._

 _The sound of a heated discussion behind her finally snapped Ashley's attention from Kolio. She glanced over her shoulder, still hovering over his body. She didn't notice as unseeing eyes slowly opened._

" _No way, we should go now!"_

" _We can't just leave. What if the others come and we're not here? They won't know where to find us."_

" _I say we get the fuck out of here!"_

" _And go where exactly? Those things could be everywhere!"_

 _Ashley was just about to rise and join the discussion when a weight fell to her shoulder and gripped. She shouted in surprise as she lost her balance and tilted toward where Kolio was now in a seated position and leaning closer, his teeth bared. A bloodcurdling scream ripped from her throat._

 _Seconds later a tire iron was plunged into Kolio's skull and he once again collapsed onto the ground, the metal still protruding from his forehead. Benji stood over the two panting slightly._

" _Shit, Ashley, are you alright?" Beca cried as the friends rushed closer._

 _The brunette could only nod slightly._

xxxx

"Come on, get up."

Chloe attempted to roll onto her side but grimaced at the pain she felt shooting from her leg. She gave no answer to the blonde and showed no intention of getting out of the bed.

Aubrey sighed. "Come on Chloe, get up. I don't get to lay around and wither away so neither do you. Get up."

"No." Chloe whined. "My leg hurts."

"Of course it hurts." Aubrey replied. "It was snapped in two and then shredded to bits by razor wire. But you still have to get up."

"What's the point, I can't walk on it."

"That's why you have crutches." The blonde responded patiently. "Benji was really excited to give them to you. Now come on. You didn't lose anyone, you don't have any reason to wallow. You didn't let me stay in bed and I'm not going to let you. Now get up!"

The blonde grabbed Chloe's arm and pulled her into a seated position even as the redhead tried to fight her off, throwing fists and elbows. When Chloe's feet hit the floor she screamed in pain.

"Fuck, Aubrey stop! It hurts-"

"Yes it hurts!" Aubrey screamed back, taking the redhead's face between her hands roughly. "This fucking life hurts. If you don't get out of this bed now, you never will. You don't get to just lay here and die if I didn't. And don't make me say it again. Now get up…I'm going to help you for God's sake."

Chloe clenched her jaw against the pain as Aubrey pulled her to feet. "Shit." She hissed, already wobbling and still unable to put any weight on her left leg.

Aubrey quickly steadied the shorter woman and placed one crutch in front of her to help balance her. Chloe glared at the blonde but swiped the offered crutch out of her hand.

When Aubrey was certain Chloe was steady on the crutches she stepped away.

"I'm up." Chloe growled. "Now what do you want?"

Aubrey quirked a brow. "I want you to come downstairs with me and help take inventory of our food supplies."

"Downstairs." The redhead replied flatly. "You expect me to get all the way downstairs on crutches?"

"I do. Now come on."

Aubrey turned on her heel and strode out of the room, not bothering to look behind to see if Chloe was following. She was. The blonde did stop at the top of the long staircase and turn back to her friend expectantly.

Chloe hobbled to the top of the staircase and a look of fear passed her face as she stared to the bottom. Aubrey stepped to her side. "I'll help you."

The redhead growled again after they had only made it down a handful of steps. "This is going to take forever."

"We've got nothing but time Chloe." Aubrey replied with a smirk. "The fucking world ended remember?"

The shorter woman groaned but slowly continued her way down the staircase.

xxxx

"You might as well get back to earning your keep."

Aubrey glared at the shorter woman from where she was seated on the front steps. Beca returned the glare, standing with her arms crossed.

"I am earning my keep…I'm looking after Chloe remember?"

Beca nodded, her arms still crossed. "Yep, you've gotten her up and moving. That's great. But I have to go repair a section of the fence today and you're coming with me."

"Why do I have to go with you?" Aubrey muttered.

"Because we all have to pull our weight and that includes you. Now come on."

The blonde clenched her jaw and still didn't move from her spot. "I shouldn't leave Chloe. She might need something. She's only been up and moving around for about a week now."

Beca eyed the taller woman, attempting to determine her sincerity. She finally sighed. "Ashley asked Chloe to help her out with some of the medical supplies today…cutting bandages or some shit. She'll be fine. And you're clearly not busy so let's go."

xxxx

"Well this is going really well." Aubrey growled. "Let's go the long way to check the fence. Let's completely leave the safety of our _fenced in_ property to trek through the woods to see if maybe there are biters lingering around…on the _outside_ of our fenced in property! Great idea."

Beca twisted as best she could from her position in the trunk of the car and swung an elbow, hoping to make contact.

The brunette had insisted they go outside of camp and around to check on a sighting of a rather large herd of biters. Beca wanted to be certain the herd was not about to pose a threat to their camp and she thought they would be able to get a decent view without getting too close should there actually be biters moving through the area.

And there had been. The two had found themselves nearly surrounded much quicker than either had anticipated. Luckily there was an abandoned car within sprinting distance and they had just barely managed to jump into the trunk and close it behind them before they were ripped to shreds.

"Fuck you!" Beca whispered angrily.

And so that was how the two found themselves on their backs staring up at the closed roof of the trunk of an abandoned car. Only a small amount of light streaming through one of the busted tail lights illuminated the closed trunk. The sound of biters thumping against the sides of the vehicle left their breath hitching. From the sound of the groaning and the feel of the car shaking with each impact, it was obvious to Beca and Aubrey that the entire horde had followed them.

"At least they're moving away from camp." Aubrey muttered.

"Shhh!" Beca hissed, clapping a hand over what she hoped was Aubrey's mouth.

The blonde rolled her eyes and slapped the hand away. "They'll never be able to hear us over the sound of their own noise. And so what if they do? They can't open the trunk."

"You may be willing to risk it but I actually don't want to die." The brunette replied. "I haven't completely given up on life."

Aubrey clenched her jaw in the dark. "Don't Beca. You have no idea…Come talk to me when you see Jesse's intestines spilled on the pavement."

"Jesus Aubrey!" Beca exclaimed. "Low blow. God, you are impossible to talk to!"

"You're just now figuring that out?" The blonde muttered. "You got yourself into this. You're the one who insisted I come out here with you. And just why was that again?"

Beca growled slightly. "Because you had to leave the camp eventually and for some reason, _I'm_ the only person Chloe trusts you with. And look what a great job I'm doing."

Aubrey sighed. "It sounds like they've passed us."

They both listened intently but couldn't make out any sound from outside the trunk of the car.

"Can you see anything through the hole?" Beca asked quietly.

Aubrey rolled to her side the best she could and scooted closer to the small opening. She leaned as close as she could and peered out. All she could make out was the green of the surrounding grass and trees. And no biters.

"I don't even smell them."

"Ok." Beca replied with a nod. "Let's give it a few minutes to make sure they're far enough away and then we'll go."

"Home or on to check the fences?"

The brunette smirked in the dark. "Plenty of daylight left. And the fences still have to be checked."

Aubrey sighed. The two sat in silence for a few more minutes, still with no sound from outside of the car. Beca reached and pushed on the trunk hood. It didn't budge.

"Hmm."

"Well, open it." Aubrey insisted. The brunette pushed again and still the trunk wouldn't open. "Beca stop messing around and open it."

"I'm trying!" Beca exclaimed. "It won't open…it's locked or something."

"Oh for fucks sake!" the blonde exclaimed. "Are you telling me we're stuck in here?"

"Well you try to open it!"

Aubrey scooted closer and scrambled around feeling for a latch or lever to pop the hood free. Not finding one, she then followed Beca's lead and the two pushed against the locked trunk. Even together they weren't able to open it.

"Well, we're stuck." Beca muttered.

Aubrey kicked with her feet as hard as she could. "Fuck!" She kicked again with another frustrated scream.

Beca once again shushed the taller woman. "Do you want to draw the biters back? Shut up!"

"Well what the fuck do you expect me to do?" Aubrey hissed. "I'm stuck in the trunk of a car with you and now we're going to suffocate in here and no one will ever even find our dead bodies."

"Hey…we're not going to suffocate." The brunette replied with an eye roll. "There's a hole so we'll get plenty of air. And the others know where we were going-"

"Yeah." Aubrey interrupted. "To check fences. But did they know we'd be going outside of camp to do it?"

"Well…I might have mentioned it to Jesse. I can't remember. But hey, at least you don't have to go check the fences now."

Aubrey sighed again in frustration.

xxxx

"They should have been back by now."

Jesse glanced over his shoulder to where Chloe was slowly approaching on her crutches. He nodded and turned his gaze back to where he had been watching for the two to return.

"They were just going to check fences right?" The redhead continued.

"Yeah, that's what Beca said." Jesse replied. "They can both take care of themselves so I'm not really worried."

Chloe clenched the handles of her crutches in her hands. "Then why have you been standing out here for an hour watching for them?"

The man cleared his throat awkwardly. "Honestly, I'm more worried about Beca and Aubrey killing each other than biter trouble."

The redhead chuckled but quickly turned serious again. "I'm going to look for them."

"What?" Jesse exclaimed as Chloe resolutely crutched passed him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I told you." She replied. "I'm going to look for them. They're my people. I love them both and I won't leave them out there."

"Ok, whoa, hold up." Jesse said, following after the woman. "Stop Chloe, you can't go out there and you know it."

"I'll stay inside the fences."

"And if you fall or a biter is already inside?" Jesse asked. "No Chloe. They'll both kill me if they get back and you're not here. Come on, just…let Benji and me go. We'll find them ok?"

Chloe stomped the ground with one of her crutches. "But I can help! I'm getting around much better on these and-"

"You are, and you're doing amazing." He soothed. "But Chloe…please just stay here. I can't risk you getting hurt. Like I said, I don't want to be around if Beca or Aubrey find out something happened to you. Please, just trust me. I'll find them."

The redhead clenched her jaw and sighed. "Fine. You've got one hour and then I'm going out there myself."

xxxx

"It's fucking hot in here." Aubrey grumbled.

Beca exhaled slowly, trying not to let the blonde get under her skin. "Well you bitching and blowing all that hot air isn't helping."

"Hot air?" The blonde asked incredulously. "What are you trying to say Beca?"

"Oh, I'm not _trying_ to say anything." The brunette replied. "I'm saying it. Stop bitching. I'm sorry we're locked in a trunk. But at least we weren't out there and biter bits. And I'm sorry that the world has gone to shit but that is not my fault. So just stop with the constant attitude and bitching!"

"You little-"

The two startled as sunlight suddenly filled the trunk as the lid was popped open. They squinted up at the sight of Jesse and Benji staring down at them in amusement.

"What's up ladies?" Jesse said.

He and Benji helped the two out of the cramped trunk and they stretched appreciatively.

"How the hell did you find us?" Beca asked, pulling her boyfriend in for a tight hug.

"Are you kidding?" Benji replied. "We could hear you two arguing a half a mile away. You're lucky no biters heard you."

"Yeah see?" Beca exclaimed, pointing at Aubrey. "That's exactly what I said. But does she ever listen? No."

"Oh shut up." Aubrey hissed. "Let's just go. And by go, I mean go home. If you think I'm going to fix fences with you, you're fucking crazy."

Benji and Jesse quickly fell into step behind her, heading back for the camp. Beca rolled her eyes and followed as well.

They trudged back to camp and had just made it back inside the main gate when they were met by Chloe, already sweating and panting slightly having traveled further on her crutches than she had previously. At the sight of the two women unharmed, the redhead dropped her crutches and threw her arms around the blonde.

"Well where the hell are you going?" Aubrey asked, pulling away from Chloe's hug and eyeing her pack and pistol strapped to her hip.

"To look for you two, where the hell do you think?" She cried, reluctant to release the other woman.

The blonde quirked a brow. "On your crutches? That sounds…safe."

"Yes, on my crutches!" Chloe replied. "And if I could walk with one, I would beat you with the other one for scaring the shit out of me! Beca, what the hell happened?"

Aubrey snorted out a laugh at the look that passed on Beca's face.

"Yes, blame me." The brunette muttered. "Never mind the fact that we're both alive and well and didn't get eaten for brunch-"

Chloe silenced Beca by abruptly pulling her closer for an embrace as well. "I'm just glad you're both ok…Don't scare me like that again."

Beca squeezed Chloe tightly. "I'm sorry we worried you. But we're fine, see?"

The redhead pulled away and smiled. She met Aubrey's eye over Beca's shoulder where she stood watching them. Chloe smiled at the blonde but Aubrey simply nodded in return. Chloe couldn't help but wonder when she had last seen a real smile on Aubrey's face.

xxxx

While the world seemed to stop, time however didn't. Weeks passed. Aubrey threw herself into work at the camp. She volunteered for runs and helped with nearly any task on the camp grounds as well. Chloe watched worriedly as the blonde seemed intent on working herself nearly to death just to keep her mind and body occupied.

Chloe herself still remained inside the fenced in property. The flesh wounds to her leg were healing but the bone was still fragile so the redhead continued to need the crutches for support. She didn't complain but Beca could see that Chloe was afraid she would never be rid of them.

It was a dreary afternoon, cooler than normal for that time of year, when the outer gates of the camp opened for a group to enter. There were ten or twelve men, all looking as though they had seen better days. Their clothes were torn and bloody and they looked as though they hadn't eaten in days.

After they were checked for any bite wounds or injuries that could be life-threatening and pose a risk for the camp, they were allowed in.

"Don't worry." Jesse said as the group shuffled closer. "You'll get your weapons back. Just a trial period, you understand. We won't have any trouble here and everyone does their share of work."

"We understand." The man in front said. "We won't be any trouble…we appreciate you taking us in. And we'll pull our weight, don't worry!"

Benji stepped closer with a smile. "Sorry the house is pretty full already. There won't be room for all of you inside but we have plans to build some more shelters. In the meantime…we have tents and the grounds are secure."

"We'll be just fine, don't worry about us." The man replied again.

He glanced around at their surroundings, his new home and sighed. It was better than the where they had been. His gaze fell on a woman leaning against the doorway. Even from yards away, her bright blue eyes were striking. The man was able to make out that she was balancing herself on crutches just before she disappeared back into the shadows of the old manor home. He smiled.

xxxx

Aubrey sighed in frustration in the dark room. She could hear Chloe's soft, steady breathing as the shorter woman slept. Try as she might, Aubrey could not find a comfortable position. She missed Stacie. Just the thought of the younger woman was enough to make the blonde want to curl up and die once again. But she had made a promise to Chloe and Posen's were people of their word. Even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.

So Aubrey was resigned to living out the remainder of her life without the woman she loved. Her soul ached. But unfortunately her body did as well. It had been so long since she had been touched and had a release for her frustration and stress. Aubrey needed sex. The love of her life was gone but her body still had needs.

The blonde slipped her hand under the waistband of her sleep shorts and stifled a moan as she dipped her fingers into her own slick heat. She swallowed thickly as she attempted to set a steady rhythm in the dark. Still the blonde was unable to find release. She groaned in frustration as her orgasm remained just beyond her reach. With a sigh, Aubrey pulled her hand from between her legs and blinked tears away. Hopeless.

Her gaze then settled on the woman sleeping on the other bed mere feet away. Chloe claimed to love her. Surely she would be willing to assist her with one small orgasm. Aubrey pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and propped herself up on one elbow as she watched Chloe sleep. It would just be sex. If Chloe was really in love with her, she would naturally want to have sex with her. And if anyone needed to relax and relieve some stress, it was Chloe. She had just nearly died recently after all. Aubrey nodded resolutely to herself.

She rolled from the bed silently and stepped closer to Chloe's bed. She stopped at the foot of the redhead's bed just briefly before she climbed onto it and crawled on her hands and knees, careful not to jostle it too much. She pulled the blankets away from Chloe's body, smirking slightly at how heavy a sleeper the other woman was. Had she always been? Or was it a recent development? Aubrey couldn't recall.

Chloe did finally stir slightly as Aubrey settled herself to straddle the redhead's good leg, the friction of the shorter woman's thigh between her own legs immediately causing the blonde to moan.

"Wh-Aubrey?" Chloe mumbled, her mind still foggy with sleep.

Aubrey shifted against Chloe's leg and exhaled a shaky breath. "Chloe…please. I'm going crazy. I just need to…oh fuck."

The blonde was already rocking against Chloe's thigh, her eyes clamped shut. The redhead grunted and shoved Aubrey roughly in surprise. The taller woman whimpered as Chloe scooted out from under her, the pressure between her legs still unbearable.

"Jesus Aubrey! What is wrong with you?"

"Oh come on Chloe…you want it too, I know you do!" The blonde growled, her frustration growing.

"No Aubrey, not like this!" Chloe exclaimed. "You have a lot of nerve asking me for sex. This isn't fair, you know how I feel…"

Aubrey once again reached for Chloe, trying to pull her closer. "You love me don't you? If you actually love me then you'll fucking help me! It's just sex!"

Chloe reached and slapped Aubrey across her face before either realized what was happening. Her hand stung as she tried to scoot further away from the blonde. "Not for me it isn't." She hissed.

Aubrey released a strangled cry and desperately reached for the redhead as the smaller woman attempted to put distance between them. "Please Chloe, I'm sorry. I'll get you off too I swear! Please…I'm losing my mind. I need her…it wasn't supposed to be this way. She wasn't supposed to leave me. But she did and now I'm lost without her. And I hate myself for still even thinking about sex because I'll never get to touch her again or even _see_ her again and _God_ …Chloe…I swear I'm going crazy. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

Chloe felt her heart clench as Aubrey fell apart in front of her. Part of her wanted to slap the blonde again for attempting to use her for sex knowing Chloe was in love with her. And another part of her wanted to gather Aubrey into her arms and give her exactly what she needed.

"I'm sorry Chloe, I'm sorry." Aubrey continued through her tears. "I don't mean to hurt you. I just need…I swear I'll get you off too…"

Chloe sighed as Aubrey slumped against the wall in defeat, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Not like that…not…rough like that. Just not so _rough_ ok?"

Aubrey's breath caught in her throat and she slowly raised her head to meet the other woman's pained gaze. "You mean…you'll do it?"

Chloe swallowed thickly and nodded before gesturing to her injured leg. "Best I can anyway. Just…be careful with me." She said softly, referring to more than just her leg.

The blonde exhaled in relief and nodded. She reached and gently cupped Chloe's cheek. A few more tears spilled from Aubrey's eyes as she once again scooted closer to the redhead. "You're the only person I could…the only one who…"

Chloe felt the air rush from her lungs as their lips met. She moaned finally as Aubrey began to trail her lips down the column of her neck. "Just remember…this means more to me than it does you." She whispered.

If Aubrey heard, she didn't acknowledge it.

xxxx

Chloe's eyes blinked open and she momentarily furrowed her brow in confusion at the weight she felt slightly draped over her and the warmth pressed against the side of her body. And then she remembered.

" _Chloe please!"_

A shiver tore down the redhead's spine as she remembered the previous night's events. Aubrey had been desperate and hungry and Chloe had essentially just been able to hang on as the blonde had taken the reins to work out her sexual frustration. But Aubrey had kept her promise. Chloe smirked at the memory of her own orgasm ripping through her.

Aubrey began to stir and Chloe propped herself up on her elbow and watched her as the blonde's eyes finally blinked open.

"Good morning." The redhead said with a smile.

"Morning." Aubrey muttered as she rubbed her eyes sleepily. And then she froze as the memory of the previous night washed over her. She quickly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare back to the other woman.

Chloe sat up as well. "Aubrey?"

The blonde was already up and pulling her clothing back on. "What?"

"Are you ok?" the redhead asked softly.

"I'm fine."

Chloe sighed. "You don't seem fine. Last night-"

"Last night can't happen again." Aubrey snapped. "Now I have a lot to do today before I help you with the laundry so I'd better get going."

Chloe nodded even though the blonde refused to look in her direction. "I can do the laundry myself…you don't have to help." She said quietly.

"Oh don't be ridiculous, you can't carry it with your crutches." Aubrey replied. "I said I'd help you and I will. I'll find you later."

And with that, the blonde stormed out of the room leaving Chloe alone with her thoughts and hurt feelings.

xxxx

"Um hey there Chloe…can I give you a hand?" Beca asked eyeing the redhead warily as Chloe grunted with the weight of the laundry bag tied to her waist and she tried to maneuver her way down to the lake on her crutches.

Beca was almost certain she could hear Chloe growling at her as she continued on her way without stopping. "No. I don't need your help. Or hers!"

"Come on Chloe, what's going on?" Beca asked, stepping in front of her. "So you're just going to drag the laundry to the lake?"

"I can do it."

"And then you're going to drag the clean laundry back?" Beca asked with a smirk. "Who is going to help you carry it back down again when you have to rewash everything?"

Chloe refused to stop but cast a glare at the shorter woman. "Fine, I'll find someone to bring the clean laundry back. Happy?"

"You can't go by yourself anyway." Beca said, deciding to ignore the unusual coldness from the redhead. "In case you weren't aware, we seem to be in the middle of some fucking zombie apocalypse and no one is allowed to wander around alone."

Chloe scowled and rolled her eyes. "This place is sealed up solid. We haven't had any trouble inside the gates in months. Besides, Benji and Donald are working on the water pump down there today. They'll be right there if I need them."

"Chloe." Beca said firmly. "What's wrong?"

Chloe sighed and finally came to a stop, balancing on her crutches. "It's…complicated. I'm sorry, I'm fine really. Thanks for your help."

Beca nodded and picked up the bag of laundry. The two continued the short distance to the lake in silence, the brunette assuming Chloe would talk to her when she was ready. They waived to Benji and Donald as the two worked across the lake. Beca eyed the redhead again as she settled herself to start washing the camps pile of dirty laundry. It was yet another of the only jobs Chloe was allowed to do until she was off of her crutches, much to her dismay.

"Wasn't Aubrey supposed to help you with this?"

Chloe froze momentarily but didn't look up from the shirt in her hands. "She was. But I didn't need her help. I don't need her."

"Do you want me to stay and help you? I can."

Chloe shook her head. "No thanks."

Beca quirked a brow but didn't push the other woman. "Well…I'll get out of your way then. Don't let Donald and Benji leave you down here by yourself do you understand me?"

Chloe rolled her eyes but nodded.

"Ok." The brunette continued. "Well, I'm supposed to run back out to that town to the south with Jesse today so I'd better get going. You're sure you're ok?"

Chloe finally smiled and looked up at the woman standing over her. "Yes Beca, I'm fine. I'll be fine here…washing everyone's dirty underwear."

Beca sighed, thinking she was finally understanding a little of the redhead's mood. "Ya know Chloe, you won't always be just on laundry duty…You'll be back on your feet before you know it. And if you hate this…we can think of something else!"

"No." Chloe replied with a sigh. "It's ok. I'm happy to help out where I can…I still can't walk so obviously I'm useless on a run. Now get out of here, I'm fine. You're blocking my sun and I need to work on my tan."

Beca eyed her friend, still uneasy about the redhead's mood, but nodded. "Alright. Remember, what are we not supposed to do?"

Chloe rolled her eyes again but laughed. "Ever be alone anywhere. Now get out of here already! Or I'll make you wash all the guys' dirty tighty whiteys. Skid marks…all over 'em."

"Fuck that, I'm out."

Chloe laughed again when Beca scrambled away quickly. She shook her head and turned back to the laundry.

Beca stopped at the top of the hill overlooking the lake and glanced back toward her friend. Chloe was already making good progress on the laundry. She then let her gaze drift to Donald and Benji. She trusted them. They would keep an eye on Chloe. With a nod to herself, the brunette turned and continued her way back toward the camp.

xxxx

"Beca, have you seen Chloe?" Aubrey exclaimed, rushing toward the brunette as soon as she stepped back into the large building.

Beca sidestepped the blonde with a quirked brow. "She's down at the lake doing the laundry."

"Fuck." Aubrey hissed. "I told her I'd help her with it. That stubborn little…"

The brunette just shook her head as Aubrey stormed off. She thought she was getting an even better idea of what Chloe's earlier mood was all about.

Aubrey rushed toward the lake, not even noticing the other camp members she passed on her way. She finally ground to a halt at the sight of Chloe, alive and well, sitting in the water on the rocky ledge and washing the camp's clothes. She released a sigh of relief at the sight of Donald and Benji nearby. Maybe Chloe wasn't as reckless as the blonde had worried.

"Chloe." Aubrey called as she approached the water. She could see the redhead visibly stiffen at the sound of her voice. "Chloe I told you I'd help you with the laundry. How did you even get it down here? God you're so stubborn."

"Just go away Aubrey, I don't need your help. I don't _want_ your help!"

Aubrey rolled her eyes as she wandered out into the water where Chloe was sitting. "What is your problem?"

Chloe ignored the other woman as she sat down next to her on the ledge and also dangled her feet in the water. Aubrey grabbed for a pair of pants. They worked in silence for a few moments before the blonde finally spoke up again softly.

"Is this about last night?"

"You guys ok?" Donald yelled, startling them both. "We're finished out here but we can stay if you want."

Aubrey and Chloe both glanced around at their surroundings. It was all quiet. Not even a sound from a biter on the fences.

"No, we're fine guys, thanks." Chloe called with a wave. The two men nodded and headed on their way.

Aubrey eyed the redhead expectantly, waiting for an answer but Chloe seemed set on ignoring her. "I said, is this about last night?" she hissed.

"Oh last night was fine." Chloe replied harshly. "It was this morning that sucked. But whatever. Like you said…last night won't ever happen again so let's just forget about it."

Aubrey sighed. "Ok. Ok I can admit it…I was harsh this morning…but what did you expect? I made a fool out of myself and I freaked out ok? I'm sorry."

"You're upset that you made a fool out of yourself in front of me?" Chloe exclaimed. "Me, your best friend. I wiped puke off of you in front hundreds of people at the Kennedy Center and now you're worried about making a fool out of yourself. But not at all upset about the fact that you _used_ me for sex knowing that I'm in love with you! And then brushed me off like I didn't matter at all. Again, knowing that I'm in love with you!"

"God," Aubrey cried, looking around to be certain they were alone. "Stop saying that! You are not in love with me Chloe!"

"Fuck you." Chloe spat after staring at the blonde for a handful of moments. "Go away. I don't need your help and I don't want you near me!"

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "I'm not leaving you here by yourself Chloe, don't be stupid. What would you do if a biter got through the fence…run?"

The redhead stood from the water, balancing on her one good leg. "Fuck you!"

Aubrey shot up next to her. "Chloe-"

"No, just go!" Chloe yelled, shoving the blonde.

Aubrey stumbled backwards from the force of the shove. Her momentum threw Chloe off balance and she too fell forward. Aubrey tried to steady her but they both ended up toppling over off the rocky ledge and into the water. The blonde scrambled to grab hold of Chloe as she sputtered up from the water. The redhead shrugged her hands off even though she was struggling to keep from sinking again.

Chloe scrambled and held onto the rocky ledge but found she was unable to pull herself up and out of the water. With only one leg to propel herself, the redhead didn't have the strength. She grunted against the sharp pain to her leg and slapped the rocky ledge angrily.

"Fuck." She hissed and reached to massage her leg under the water.

"Chloe?" the blonde cried, hearing the redhead's exclamation. "Chloe are you hurt?"

Aubrey rushed and grabbed the shorter woman by the shoulder and turned her in the water roughly. Chloe lost her grip on the ledge and once again dipped under the surface before bobbing back to the up for air, sputtering.

The blonde reached and scooped Chloe under her arm to hold her above the water and held them both up with a firm grip on the ledge.

"Easy Chloe, I've got you." Aubrey said, trying to hold the shorter woman steady. "There's a little ledge, right here on the side. You can balance yourself on it, there you go."

Chloe finally found her footing on the small ledge and coughed out a small amount of water. When she finally caught her breath, the redhead couldn't help but notice just how close Aubrey was standing as they both tried to keep their footing on the small ledge. In fact, Aubrey still had one arm wrapped tightly around the shorter woman.

The redhead felt a shiver tear through her at the feel of Aubrey's body pressed so snugly against her own.

"Chloe, are you hurt?" Aubrey turned, effectively pinning the shorter woman against the ledge, and reached one hand to grip the side of Chloe's face as if ready to force an answer out of her.

When the blonde felt a shudder run through Chloe, she finally took stock of their position. She found herself mere inches from Chloe's face as they stared at each other. Bright blue eyes blinked up at her. But Aubrey found herself unable to tear her gaze away from a single droplet of water trailing down and over Chloe's clavicle.

It was then that she realized their bodies were pressed together, the thin wet material providing little barrier. She moaned when Chloe shifted slightly and her left thigh grazed the taller woman's center. "Shit."

Aubrey snapped her eyes away from the redhead's chest and they held each other's gaze for a few moments longer before Chloe pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, willing her body to remain still. Aubrey swallowed thickly. When the redhead tried to turn her head, Aubrey roughly gripped her face and held her steady. She smirked slightly before she closed the distance between them and pressed their lips together roughly.

Chloe growled and turned her head, shoving Aubrey away at the same time. The blonde lost her footing on the ledge and ducked under the water. When she surfaced, she slicked her hair back away from her face. Aubrey moved closer to the ledge and attempted to once again find her footing. But Chloe snarled and swung a fist to smack the blonde.

Aubrey lifted her forearm and managed to block Chloe's fist from landing more than a glancing blow. She once again moved closer, grabbing both of the redhead's hands. She pressed herself closer and wrapped one leg around Chloe's in an effort to keep her still.

"Stop Chloe, stop!"

"You…bitch!" Chloe yelled, struggling to once again break free. Aubrey held on.

"Ok, ok." The blonde soothed. "I'm sorry, that was a cheap shot. I'll let you go, just don't hit me again ok?"

Aubrey relaxed her grip and leaned away from the shorter woman. She was afraid to let go of Chloe completely, afraid she would lose her footing again. The redhead refused to meet her eye.

The blonde sighed. "Ok, I'll pull myself up first and then you. Just let me get out of the water and I'll pull you out."

Aubrey shifted away and easily pulled herself up and out of the water. She then extended a hand to Chloe still standing on the ledge. The redhead clenched her jaw and took the blonde's hand.

Once she was finally back out of the water and on the ledge, Chloe once again shrugged the other woman off. She sat down and reached to massage her leg.

Aubrey dropped to her knees across from the redhead. "Is it bad?"

"It fucking hurts." Chloe hissed angrily.

Chloe scooted back toward the still waiting pile of laundry. She reached for a shirt to wash but her own shirt was clinging to her too heavily. The redhead grunted and pulled her own shirt off and spread it out flat to dry before turning back to the laundry once again.

Aubrey swallowed thickly at the sight of Chloe in front her, clad only in her bra and shorts. The redhead felt eyes on her and glanced in the blonde's direction. She couldn't help but smirk at the hungry look she saw on the taller woman's face.

Aubrey scooted closer and silently reached for a piece of clothing and the two finished the laundry in silence. When Chloe began to throw the clean clothes back into the sack, Aubrey stepped closer, holding out her crutches. She shrugged slightly when Chloe finally met her gaze.

The redhead narrowed her eyes and sighed. She quickly swiped the crutches away from Aubrey and headed back toward the old hotel, leaving the blonde to finish collecting the laundry. Aubrey made certain to keep an eye on the retreating redhead. With a sigh she swung the bag onto her back and quickly made her way home as well.

Chloe continued to ignore the blonde all throughout the rest of the day and into the evening. Beca eyed the silent pair warily at dinner. It was only later that evening when the two had retired back to their own room that Chloe finally acknowledged her.

Aubrey slipped quietly into the room and closed the door behind her. She had barely taken another step when Chloe grabbed her and shoved her back onto the bed.

"You don't get to make all the decisions." The redhead said lowly.

Aubrey smirked briefly before Chloe crashed their lips together.

xxxx

"Oh god, don't stop."

Chloe smiled as she peppered kisses down the long slope of Aubrey's neck, her fingers setting a steady rhythm between the blonde's legs. She hummed as she nipped at the taller woman's collarbone. Chloe could feel Aubrey was getting close.

The blonde arched, her orgasm washing over, one hand gripping the headboard. "Fuck!"

Chloe smiled again as Aubrey panted and tried to catch her breath. It was nearly two weeks since they had first been together and the two had found themselves in bed together nearly every night. They didn't talk about it but they seemed to have fallen into a routine.

The redhead pressed a tender kiss to Aubrey's shoulder.

"Stacie…that was amazing."

 _Stacie_.

Chloe's heart clenched painfully. She abruptly pulled away from Aubrey, tears stinging her eyes. Chloe rolled and sat on the edge of the bed. "You said Stacie."

"What?" Aubrey muttered, taking note of the redhead's sudden distance.

Chloe sat up straighter on the bed, her back to the other woman. "You said Stacie."

Aubrey sighed. "Chloe-"

"No, it's fine." The shorter woman interrupted. "I know. This is just stress relief for you, I get it. It's fine."

Aubrey watched silently as Chloe shrugged her shirt back on, followed by the pants that had been left in the floor of their room. The redhead slipped out of the room quietly without looking back.

Chloe held her composure until she was certain she was far enough away from the room. She leaned against the railing overlooking the lobby of the once grand hotel. She clenched her jaw against not only the pain in her leg at having fled the room without her crutches, but at the way her heart clenched painfully.

"Chloe?"

The redhead swallowed thickly and tried to steady her breathing. She glanced over her shoulder to where Beca had stopped, eyeing her worriedly.

"Chloe, what's wrong?" Beca saw the way Chloe clenched her jaw and her lip trembled. She sighed. "Ok, come on."

The brunette took Chloe by the hand and pulled her down the hallway toward her own room. She slowed when the redhead hissed in pain. She turned quickly but Chloe once again clenched her jaw and winced as she put weight on her left leg. With a nod, she slowly followed Beca the rest of the way.

When they finally slipped into the room she and Jesse shared, Chloe quickly dropped to the edge of the bed and reached to massage her aching leg.

"Chloe please," Beca exclaimed, dropping onto the bed next to her, "please tell me what's going on."

The redhead quickly reached and wiped a tear from her eye. At the sight of actual tears, Beca scooted closer and draped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Hey Chloe, come on now, what's wrong?"

Chloe furiously wiped at her cheeks before glancing to her side where Beca was eyeing her worriedly. The brunette gently rubbed the taller woman's back. Before Chloe's brain could catch up to her emotions, the redhead reached and took Beca's face in her hands and pressed their lips together.

Chloe whimpered slightly as she attempted to deepen the kiss but Beca quickly took the other woman by the shoulders and pushed her away, albeit gently.

"Chloe? What the hell?"

Realization flashed in Chloe's bright blue eyes and tears quickly welled up once again. "Oh god, I'm so-I'm sorry Beca! I didn't mean to, god I'm so stupid-"

"Ok, it's ok Chloe." Beca soothed, even more worried over the distraught woman. "But now you have to tell me what's going on."

The redhead sighed and once again wiped away her tears. She finally met Beca's worried gaze and nodded. "Aubrey…she-"

"She what?" Beca asked. "What is going on? You two have been so weird lately. What's wrong? You know I'm team Chloe all the way. I am not afraid to break a bitch's kneecap."

Chloe choked out a laugh finally and shook her head. "No need for all that."

Beca sighed and again draped her arm around the redhead's shoulders. "Ok, I'm kidding. I'm sorry. Just…for god's sake Chloe, talk to me. Please tell me what's going on."

"Aubrey…she and I…well. We've been…"

"Fucking?"

Chloe's jaw dropped slightly but she nodded. "It's been going on for a few weeks now. And I thought it was going great but then tonight…tonight she said Stacie. I know she loved Stacie but I was just hoping…I don't know what I was hoping."

The redhead sighed and dropped her head into her hands. Beca squeezed her shoulder once again.

"You were hoping she would end up loving you as much as you love her." The brunette replied softly. "Oh Chloe…I'm sorry. You're in love with her…for some reason that is beyond all of my understanding. You know she's a neurotic bitch right?"

"Hey!" Chloe exclaimed. "She's been through a lot in her life…even before this fucking mess started. You have no idea what her family was like."

The smirk on Beca's face caused the redhead to chuckle slightly. She rolled her eyes.

"That's better." Beca said, nudging Chloe's shoulder with her own. "And I'm sure Aubrey doesn't want to hurt you…but she's still pretty messed up. Messed up or not, I'll still break her kneecap though. Or mess up her hair. Seriously, it's a fucking zombie apocalypse. How does her hair still look so neat and perfect like all the time?"

"I know right?" Chloe exclaimed. "I've lost all control of mine without the proper products."

The two chuckled before Chloe once again turned serious. "Sorry again…please don't tell Jesse."

"Are you kidding me? The image of us kissing will drive him nuts. Besides…I know you've been wanting to do that for years now."

Chloe laughed again and rolled her eyes. "I do have a thing for pretty women."

"Easy there lady killer or I just may change my mind." Beca replied with a wink.

The redhead smiled and the two held each other's gaze for a few moments more before Chloe threw her arms around the smaller woman and pulled her in for a tight embrace. "Thank you."

Beca squeezed her friend tightly one more time before once again pulling away. "Well at least we know you can get around without your crutches if you absolutely have to."

Chloe glanced around, realizing once again that she was indeed crutchless. As if on cue, her leg began to ache dully. She groaned in frustration and reached to massage it. "I think I'm going to need your help to get back to the room."

"Are you sure?" Beca asked. "You can stay here tonight or we can get you back into your own room again."

Chloe shook her head. "No, it's fine. You're right that she doesn't mean to hurt me so…she'll probably be worried. I'd better get back. Besides…the sex is pretty great."

"Oh Chloe." Beca exclaimed. "No offense but I'd rather be biter bait than hear about that."

Chloe chuckled again. Beca rolled her eyes and stood to her feet, reaching a hand out toward the other woman. Chloe pushed herself to her own feet and quickly took the brunette's offered hand to steady herself. The two slowly made their way back down the long hallway to the room Chloe and Aubrey had been sharing.

When the redhead slipped back inside the room, she found Aubrey sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the floor between her feet. At the sound of Chloe's entrance, the blonde jumped to her feet and rushed closer to help steady the other woman.

"Chloe-"

"I know Aubrey. It's ok. Just help me to my bed, I'm tired."

The blonde nodded and wrapped an arm around Chloe's waist. When the redhead was finally situated on her own bed, Aubrey reached and squeezed her hand once before wordlessly retreating to her own bed.

xxxx

"Hey there."

Chloe glanced up at the man who had just taken a seat across from her at their evening meal. He was relatively new to the camp. She recognized him as the leader of the group that had just recently joined them after their camp was burned out by a band of looters. She smiled politely. "Hey."

"I'm Doug." The man replied, reaching his hand across the table to shake hers. She could have sworn the man winked as he continued to grin at her.

The redhead smiled again and accepted his offered hand. "I'm Chloe. I hope you're liking it here so far."

"Hey there Chloe, nice to finally meet you. You're a tough woman to catch up with. I've been trying to talk to you for days now."

"Oh." Chloe replied in surprise. "Well I'm always around."

Doug smirked slightly. "Maybe so. But so is…she."

Aubrey dropped into the seat next to Chloe without a word. The redhead glanced to her side where the blonde seemed intent on ignoring the man across from them. Doug smirked again, determined not to be thwarted again.

"Hello there. I'm Doug."

Aubrey quirked a brow and glanced from his offered hand to his face. He was attractive. And from the wide, confident grin, Aubrey assumed he was well aware of the fact. "Aubrey." She replied flatly.

Chloe cast another sideways glance at the blonde when she didn't make a move to shake Doug's hand and instead spooned the last bite of instant mashed potatoes into her mouth. Her lips twitched slightly as she fought to keep the grin from her face. Of course Aubrey would not be impressed with him.

Doug still seemed unfazed as he pulled his hand back to his side of the table. "Aubrey. And Chloe. I gotta say, we sure lucked out in finding this place. The women in our camp were nowhere near as beautiful as the two of you."

Aubrey once again just glanced at him quickly before turning back to Chloe. "I have watch soon so I think I'll head on up to the room to relax a little before."

Chloe watched as the blonde stood from the table and sauntered away. Aubrey cast one final look over her shoulder toward the redhead before she headed up the stairs to their room. Chloe swallowed thickly and felt her heat rising at the smirk Aubrey wore before she disappeared from sight. She barely noticed that Doug was still talking to her.

"-and maybe you and I can get better acquainted."

Chloe quickly stood to her feet and reached for her crutches to follow Aubrey. "Maybe some other time." She muttered to Doug before heading on her way.

The man stared after her and shook his head with a chuckle. "Gonna play hard to get huh." He glanced next to him where Benji was chuckling as well. "So what's the deal with her…Chloe? Is she…with anyone? Why's that blonde always around?"

Benji pushed his plate away and sighed. "Well…they've been best friends for years. A lot of us were in college together, the two of them included. They're…complicated. I wouldn't mess with Aubrey if I were you…or Chloe for that matter. That'll get you on Aubrey's bad side pretty quickly…well, everyone's really."

Doug eyed Benji, knowing there was more the other man wasn't saying. "Tight group ya got here."

Benji nodded. "We're family. We've already lost people. So you better be sure we're going to look out for each other."

Benji stood to his feet then and wandered away. Doug simply watched him go.

xxxx

"Are you sure you're ok with one crutch?" Aubrey asked, eyeing Chloe as she trekked along toward the outer gate.

The redhead smiled and nodded. "I'll be off of this one pretty soon. My leg finally feels stronger."

Aubrey nodded in return. "That's great. Just don't overdo it. There's no rush Chloe."

"I know." The redhead replied. "We've got nothing but time now that the world went to shit. But I'm tired of needing help. I'm tired of not going out on runs and pulling my weight. I'm-"

"Chloe, stop. You're pulling your weight ok?" Aubrey interrupted.

"I know. I just hate when you guys go out there and I stay here every single time. It's dangerous out there and I shouldn't get to sit here safely behind these fences while you all run the risk of getting hurt or worse out there."

The blonde sighed. "Well, maybe Jesse and Beca will agree to let you drive on the next run…you know, ease your way back into things."

Chloe's face split into a smile. "That would be great! I mean, I'll still do the laundry and the inventory and all that. But-"

"Oh fuck." Aubrey hissed suddenly. "Lily!"

Chloe followed the blonde's gaze and her stomach dropped at the sight of the gate wide open with a group of biters shuffling inside through it. Lily had reached them first and was fighting them off the best she could but she was clearly outnumbered.

Aubrey had already broken out into a run to try to help. At their sudden shouts, others from the camp rushed to help as well. Chloe clenched her jaw and crutched forward as quickly as she could.

Lily managed to take out three biters before she was overwhelmed. She was unable to withdraw her knife from the skull of her kill when the nearest biter was able to tackle her to the ground. She screamed as teeth sank into her neck.

Aubrey released a feral scream as well and threw herself at the closest biter. Doug was next to reach them and he quickly disposed of two of the undead as well.

Chloe momentarily froze at the sight of two biters who had made it past both Aubrey and Doug. She reached for her pistol only to realize she had left it in her room.

"Shit."

The redhead leaned to balance on her right leg and swung the crutch as hard as she could at the head of the closest biter. It fell to the ground and she slammed the tip of the crutch down into its skull to finish it off, the old wood splintering and snapping with the force of her blow.

Aubrey glanced over her shoulder in time to see Chloe smash the biter's head with the crutch but another biter was closing in. "Shut the gate!" She screamed to Doug as she scrambled back to her feet from where she had dropped next to Lily and charged back toward her friend.

Chloe stepped backwards, immediately grimacing in pain as she was forced to put her weight on her weak leg to put distance between herself and the remaining biter. It was unsteady on its feet and tripped over the biter she had already disposed of. With a growl, the redhead shifted sideways and stabbed downward with what was left of her crutch. The splintered wood speared the biter through the temple just Aubrey dove and buried her hatchet in the back of its head.

"Lily." Chloe mumbled, panting as her adrenaline faded. She ignored the pain to her leg and limped to where the other woman was lying unmoving. Beca had already reached her and was kneeling beside her, a sad look on her face. In one swift motion, the brunette plunged her knife into Lily's temple.

Aubrey slowly stepped closer as well. "Who the fuck left the gate open?" she hissed.

A sick look passed over Doug's face and Aubrey clenched her fists. "I swear, I shut it!" He replied. "I swear it! I thought…maybe it didn't latch."

"You…reckless…son of a _bitch_!" The blonde exclaimed. "You got her killed!"

"Hey, come on!" Doug replied angrily. "I shut the gate. I didn't intend for anyone to get hurt!"

"You need to go." Aubrey muttered lowly. "I want you out of here, _now_!"

The man's jaw dropped. "What? You can't be serious! You can't send me back out there. You might as well just kill me now!"

"Oh I'm thinking about it." The blonde hissed in return.

"OK, ok guys." Jesse said, quickly stepping in between the two. "Let's just take a step back. Doug, I think you'd better back off and give everyone a little space."

"What? We can't let him just get away with this!" Aubrey yelled. "Lily is dead because of him! Chloe could have been killed…everyone in this camp could have!"

"And we'll talk about that." Jesse soothed. "But it didn't sound like it was intentional. We're not killers Aubrey."

The blonde was visibly shaking when she turned on her heel and strode back toward the house. Chloe limped a few steps in an effort to follow her but realized she wouldn't be able to catch her. Beca stepped to her side and took her arm.

"For once I think I might be on Aubrey's side." Beca muttered.

xxxx

Chloe quietly slipped into the room, uncertain what condition she would find the blonde in. She glanced around the room, not seeing Aubrey anywhere. Her brow furrowed, wondering if she had been wrong about where to find the other woman. Just as Chloe was about to search elsewhere, the soft sound of sniffling met her ear.

The redhead rounded to far side of Aubrey's bed and her heart dropped at the sight of the blonde sitting in the floor with her knees drawn to her chest.

"Oh Aubrey."

The blonde swiped at her cheeks but made no move to hide the fact that she was crying. Chloe wasn't certain whether to be relieved or worried by that. She limped closer and eased her way down onto the floor next to Aubrey. She reached and placed her hand on the blonde's knee, squeezing gently.

"It doesn't get any easier losing someone does it?"

Aubrey released a shuddering breath as she tried to regain her composure and shook her head. "It shouldn't have happened. They got inside Chloe. All because of a stupid, careless asshole!"

Chloe nodded. "You're right, it shouldn't have happened. It was an accident though-"

"You're defending him?" The blonde interrupted. "Lily is dead because of him!"

"I'm not defending him." She replied patiently. "He screwed up. But I'm sure he feels terrible about it. And Aubrey, the fact is, life isn't safe now. Even behind these gates, we're not guaranteed safety so…shit is going to happen. But thanks to you acting so quickly, we didn't lose more than Lily."

Aubrey clenched her jaw. "We shouldn't have lost her. I shouldn't have lost…"

Chloe scooted closer to the blonde and wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders. Of course Aubrey was upset over Lily's death. But it always reverted back to another loss. The redhead sighed. "You know what my favorite thing about Stacie was?"

Aubrey snapped her watery gaze to the woman next to her. Chloe swallowed thickly, her own eyes stinging against sudden tears.

"I loved how happy she made you. I'd never seen you that happy. And just her confidence! Remember her audition for the Bellas?"

Aubrey's face split into a faint smile at the memory and Chloe felt her own smile forming at the sight.

"I remember." The blonde whispered fondly.

The redhead nodded, hoping to keep the other woman talking. "Is that when you fell in love with her…or was it later?"

Fresh tears leaked from Aubrey's eyes as the memories came flooding back. "Oh it was later I think…I'm kind of a slow mover. I knew I wanted her…but I never thought she would want me. Or that it could be anything more but…before I realized it, I was completely and totally in love with her. It was terrifying."

As much as the blonde's words were like a stake to Chloe's heart, she willed the woman to not shut down again.

"God I loved her." Aubrey continued tearfully. "I loved her and she died because she went back for a sweater I liked. What was I going to do with a stupid fucking yellow cardigan? God she could be so impractical sometimes."

"That's why she was so perfect for you." Chloe whispered. "She was your perfect balance."

Aubrey nodded her head before completely dissolving into sobs. Chloe swallowed her own tears and pulled the taller woman closer. The blonde didn't fight her and buried her face in Chloe's neck, clinging to her as she cried. The redhead held her tightly, not saying anything but content to let Aubrey have her cry.

Aubrey finally released a weary sigh after she had cried herself out a short time later. She eased herself back into a seated position, still with Chloe's arm wrapped protectively around her.

"I was wondering when you would let yourself cry again." The redhead whispered.

Aubrey wiped her face tiredly. She seemed too exhausted to even form words.

Chloe smiled sadly. "Come on sweetie, let's get you cleaned up and then I want you to rest until dinner. No arguments."

The blonde allowed Chloe to pull her to her feet without complaint. She even let the redhead help wash the blood and sweat from her body before she collapsed wearily into her bed. When Chloe leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, Aubrey reached and gave the shorter woman's hand a loving squeeze before her exhaustion got the best of her and she drifted off.

xxxx

When Aubrey finally woke, the room was dark. She had clearly slept through dinner. She sat up from the bed and glanced around the room. Chloe was nowhere to be seen.

Aubrey stood from the bed and stretched, feeling refreshed for the first time in ages. She slipped out of the room, intent on heading to the kitchen to see if anything was left from dinner. She was just passing through the main lobby when a figure caught her eye.

Chloe was perched in the large bay window gazing out into the moonlit yard wearing shorts and a tank top. Her skin looked eerily white in the pale moonlight, a stark contrast to her red hair. Aubrey couldn't help but think how stunning the shorter woman looked.

"Hey." She said softly.

Chloe startled, not having heard her approach. She smiled widely at the sight of the blonde. "Hey there. How are you feeling?"

Aubrey sighed and took a seat next to the redhead in the window. "Rested, believe it or not."

Chloe smiled again. "Should I have gotten you up for dinner? I kind of thought you should sleep…I'm sure there's something in the kitchen we can find to feed you."

"Oh I'll find something." Aubrey replied quietly, turning to look out the window. "I can't remember the last time I just sat looking up at the night sky. I used to love to…"

Chloe followed the blonde's gaze up toward the moon, full and bright. "It's still there. Nice to know not everything has gone to shit…that some things stay the same, stay beautiful."

Aubrey glanced to the shorter woman and once again took in her ethereal appearance. She finally rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Little Miss Fucking Sunshine."

Chloe turned her cerulean gaze back to the blonde and smiled once again.

xxxx

Aubrey stood to her feet and wiped her brow in the glaring afternoon sunlight. She and Chloe were digging a section of land to plant a garden to hopefully help feed the camp.

"Fuck me it's hot." Chloe muttered.

The blonde nodded in agreement. She looked around to gauge their progress. The section of land intended for the garden extended almost to the far fence. Aubrey squinted against the bright sunlight. A board from the fence was missing, it would need to be mended or even a single biter could easily gain access to the safe area. And that was something she never wanted to see happen again.

"Hey you two…how's it going?" Beca called, approaching from the direction of the manor home. Aubrey snapped her attention away from the fence.

Chloe smiled tiredly and waved. "It's fucking hot."

Beca pulled a water bottle out of her pack and extended it to the pair. "You've been out here all day. Why not give it a rest and come on back to camp? It's way too hot to be out here and this doesn't all have to get finished today."

Chloe glanced toward Aubrey, who was gazing intently back toward the fence line. "What do you think Aubrey, enough for today? Aubrey…everything ok?"

The blonde glanced back to the redhead and nodded. "Yeah sure. You go ahead and go on back. There's a weak spot in the fence. I'll fix it and then head in myself."

Chloe and Beca both nodded and the redhead gathered her supplies as Aubrey, armed with a shovel, strode off toward the fence.

The two friends turned and began walking away from the garden before Chloe stopped, a nagging feeling in her gut. "No, we shouldn't leave her alone. We don't leave anyone alone."

The redhead turned just in time to see a biter lunge through the fence and on top of Aubrey where she was crouched on the ground.

xxxx

Aubrey had just squatted to retrieve the broken board from the ground when she heard it. She barely had time to lift the rotting piece of wood as a barrier before she was flat on her back. She pushed and created a more comfortable space between them. She immediately thought through the easiest escape. She could throw the biter off, roll away quickly, and grab the shovel that she had dropped just off to the side. She could do it easily. But she remained frozen.

Aubrey stared up into the decomposing face of the biter on top of her. Her arm muscles were beginning to strain with the effort of holding it off. It would be so easy to just relax and let it finish the job that was started all those months ago when Stacie left her.

" _Aubrey_!"

The blonde cringed as the sound of Chloe's voice broke her from her reverie. _Chloe_. She swallowed thickly as she realized the redhead had been the only reason she had continued to live, albeit begrudgingly at first. Aubrey suddenly realized her arms were beginning to tremble under the weight.

"Oh shit." Panic began to seize her as the biter's snapping mouth grew nearer to her face and with a shiver of dread, she realized she could no longer hold it off. With a scream, Aubrey closed her eyes and turned her head as her arms finally buckled under the strain.

She waited for the pain of her flesh being ripped apart but it never came. And neither did the weight of the biter landing on top of her. Seconds passed and the blonde blinked her eyes open. The sight of the biter with a knife protruding from its head was the first thing she saw. The second thing she saw was Beca squatting next to it to retrieve her knife.

"Aubrey, did it bite you? Are you hurt?"

And then there was Chloe, pulling the blonde into an upright position and frantically cupping Aubrey's cheeks trying to get the taller woman to respond.

"Aubrey, answer me!"

Aubrey blinked and released a shaky breath. She finally scanned her gaze down her own body and nodded. "I'm fine." She gripped Chloe's shoulder and allowed the redhead to pull her in for a tight embrace but was unwilling to show just how relieved she was that she hadn't been bitten. "I'm fine."

The embrace only lasted a few moments before Chloe shoved Aubrey away and then jumped to her feet. She stormed off toward the hotel as fast as her limp would allow.

"-the fuck." Aubrey muttered from her spot prone on the ground as she watched the redhead stomp off.

"You sure you're ok?" Beca asked, hands on her hips.

Aubrey squinted up at the small woman through the glaring sunlight. She nodded and once again glanced toward Chloe's retreating form. "What's wrong with her?"

The brunette quirked a brow and shook her head. "She's in love with you and you're using her for sex. And you were just almost lunch for that biter. What the fuck do you think is wrong with her? Pick one."

Aubrey turned a cold glare on Beca and finally pushed herself to her feet. The two stood staring at each other, neither willing to stand down. Finally the blonde shook her head and turned. "Mind your fucking business." She spat over her shoulder.

Aubrey didn't spare a glance behind her as she hurried off in search of Chloe. She found her in their shared room throwing what few belongings she had into her backpack.

"Chloe, what are you doing?"

The redhead paused momentarily before she quickly zipped up the pack and slung it onto her shoulder. "I'm going back to my own room. I can't do this anymore."

Aubrey sighed and rolled her eyes. "Don't get hysterical, I'm fine. I just want to clean up and relax and maybe later-"

"Maybe later what?" Chloe hissed. "Fuck? Because that's all it is to you. You had a rough day and now you need a quick fuck to relieve the stress, is that it? Well I'm sorry but I can't do it anymore. Find someone else to get off on."

Chloe shoved past Aubrey toward the door but the blonde quickly reached and grabbed the shorter woman's arm, stopping her. "But why? I don't understand…why now?"

"Because you almost died Aubrey!" Chloe exclaimed, finally turning and facing the other woman head on. "It was one biter, _one_! You could have taken it out with no trouble at all but you almost died… _on_ _purpose_. You _let_ that thing almost kill you!"

"Chloe-"

"I get it Aubrey, I do." The redhead continued. "The love of your life is dead and the world has gone to shit. You don't think there's anything worth living for anymore. But _I'm_ still here! I thought I could change your mind and I tried, I did. I've given you everything Aubrey! I've tried so hard to make you happy because I love you, I do. And I've tried and I've tried to show you and make you happy but still…still you'd rather be dead. I just can't do it anymore. I thought being with you, anyway you would let me, would be enough. That just having some part of you would be enough and I'd be happy. But this is killing me! I'm obviously not enough to make you happy so I think maybe it's time I try to be happy myself. This…whatever this is, is over."

"But Chloe…wait, I didn't actually want to die-"

Aubrey trailed out into the hallway after the redhead but Chloe didn't stop. She finally stopped and let her go. "I just realized it too late…"

With a weary sigh Aubrey turned and cast her gaze back down into the hotel lobby where she saw Beca watching her with a somber expression. The blonde squared her shoulders and stormed back into her own room and slammed the door. Beca just shook her head.

 **End Part Two**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – Thanks so much for the reviews and for reading in general! You anons, wish I could reply directly and thank you personally but alas, I cannot. So thanks! Once again, I don't own anything you recognize and sorry for any mistakes. Only one chapter left.

A/N 2 - Sorry for the repost! I found a few typos and wanted to fix them. Sorry if you thought it was the next chapter, but that one will be up hopefully in another day or so!

 **Part Three**

 _Don't be scared._

 _I'm still here._

 _No more time for crying dear._

xxxx

Aubrey clenched her jaw at the sight of Chloe sitting with Doug at breakfast the next day. The blonde sighed and sat down at the farthest table away from the pair. As hard as she tried to ignore them, she found herself glancing toward the two every few minutes. Especially when Chloe's laughter could be heard over the murmurs of the other residents' chatter.

Others had joined Chloe and Doug while Aubrey continued to sit alone off to the side. The blonde couldn't help but smirk slightly. Even in the middle of the end of the world Chloe was a force. People were drawn to her. She was sunshine and fucking flowers. And Aubrey's stomach clenched at the realization that she already missed her friend.

"You miss her don't you?"

The blonde snapped her eyes to her side where Amy had dropped into the empty seat.

"What are you talking about?" Aubrey replied stiffly. "She's right there."

Amy squinted one eye at the taller blonde. "You're blonde. But you're not dumb. So don't play dumb with me. Everyone here heard your little discussion last night. And it was also the first night in quite some time that the two of you spent the night apart. So don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You miss her."

Aubrey sighed but still didn't answer. Instead she just poked her bland oatmeal absentmindedly.

"Just talk to her." Amy continued. "You just freaked her out good and proper but she'll get over it. She's pretty crazy about you. Just talk to her and then you can get back to whatever crazy you two call normal."

"No." Aubrey finally replied softly. "No, she was right. She wants something I can't give her so she should be free to find it somewhere else. I have to get out of the way. I want her to find someone and be happy…just as long as it isn't him."

Aubrey's tone turned cold as she glared at Doug across the room. She then abruptly stood to her feet and stomped off, Amy left staring after her.

xxxx

"So let me get this straight," Beca said flatly as Doug stared, waiting expectantly, "you want us to _attack_ and take supplies from another camp…a camp that has never once bothered us?"

The man narrowed his eyes at the brunette across the table from him but didn't back down. "They've never once bothered you because they don't know you're here. Trust me. They're the ones who wiped out our camp and they'll do the same to you!"

"Look man," Jesse said, raising a hand defensively, "I get you're pissed about what happened but we're not going to just go looking for trouble. If they happen to try something with us, we'll be ready to defend ourselves. We'll even post more lookouts around the perimeter if you think it would be beneficial, but we are not attacking anyone."

The others gathered at the table eating breakfast together eyed each other awkwardly as Doug pushed his tray away and stood to his feet. "You're making a huge mistake. They are going to attack us, it's going to happen! Just don't say I didn't warn you."

He turned on his heel and stomped off, narrowly missing Aubrey as she was passing by. "What the hell is his problem?" she asked, turning back toward the group.

Her gaze lingered on Chloe but she quickly snapped her eyes back to Beca when the brunette began to speak.

"He actually suggested we raid some camp and take their supplies. Said the group that attacked his camp is holed up in some factory across the river. He seems to think they're a threat to us."

"What?" Aubrey exclaimed. "He wants to _attack_ another group?"

"Relax." Jesse soothed. "We said no. That's not how we operate."

The blonde clenched her jaw. "Doug is trouble, I'm telling you. He got Lily killed and now he wants to endanger the rest of us!"

"Or maybe he actually wants to protect us." Chloe interrupted softly. All eyes snapped to her and she shrugged. "I don't know, maybe he's right. Maybe they will attack us. I'm not saying he wants to go about it the right way, definitely not. But he could legitimately be worried about our safety. Like it or not, Doug is part of this group and we can't just write him off."

"I can't believe you're defending him!" Aubrey exclaimed. "What is it about that guy Chloe? You have a soft spot for reckless idiots or something?"

Chloe sighed and clenched her jaw. The two had barely spoken since the redhead stormed off almost a week ago. Aubrey had kept her distance and while Chloe missed the other woman, she was standing her ground that the two needed boundaries.

"I'm obviously not saying we should raid another camp," she said with another sigh, "I'm just saying that we should give him the benefit of the doubt, that's all."

Aubrey squared her shoulders. She held Chloe's gaze for a moment longer before the blonde shook her head and also turned on her heel and stomped out of the dining hall.

xxxx

Later that afternoon, Chloe stepped out into the front yard of the old manor home. The weather was cooling, as much as it could in the Deep South. She inhaled deeply, appreciating the less humid air. She strolled through the lawn toward a small bench that had once been part of the landscaped area.

The redhead had just sat down when she heard someone approaching from behind. Chloe glanced over her shoulder quickly and smiled softly when Doug dropped to the bench next to her.

"They all hate me." He muttered with a wry laugh.

Chloe chuckled and shook her head. "They don't, not really. They did hate your idea of raiding another group though. That's just not what we're about here."

"I'm just trying to keep everyone safe." He replied.

"Ok. I get that. I want to keep everyone safe too but we don't just go starting trouble. We, humanity, have got to stick together or we're all screwed. Sure there are bad people out there but we're not them. We are going to ride this thing out as safely and humanely as possible. That's the plan."

Doug turned and stared at the redhead next to him. She felt her cheeks flush as he continued to eye her. He smiled as she rolled her eyes in embarrassment.

"I like you." Doug said plainly.

Chloe chuckled again. "Thanks. Aside from wanting to charge in guns blazing, you seem ok too."

Doug laughed briefly before quickly turning serious once again. "I mean it, I like you. I'm _interested_ in you. As in…if a zombie apocalypse hadn't fucked everything up, I would want to date you and potentially marry you. But since the world is screwed and dating seems a little ridiculous, I think we should just go for it, move into my room with me. We'll be a team and look out for each other. And let's face it, the sex will be amazing."

The redhead's jaw dropped slightly at the man's bluntness. "I'll…keep that in mind."

"I'm serious!" he exclaimed. "Why not? What's stopping us? In all honesty, we may not live through the night. We should take advantage of what time we have left."

Chloe shook her head, almost too stunned to find an answer. "Because…I-"

"You're hung up on Aubrey." Doug interrupted. "I just don't get it! You're too good for her. She's cold and-"

"You don't know anything about her!" Chloe hissed.

Doug sighed and raised his hands in defense. "Ok, ok you're right. I don't. But I've been watching you two. Something has definitely changed. You don't sit together, you don't talk…you don't stay in the same room together anymore. She let you go. But I wouldn't…I won't."

Chloe turned her head away from the man and clenched her jaw. She felt tears stinging her eyes but she refused to cry in front of him.

"Technically I let her go." She said softly, still with her face turned away from him.

Doug scooted closer and gently dropped a hand to the redhead's shoulder. "And why did you do that?"

She flinched slightly at the touch of his hand but finally turned back to him. She looked up into his grey eyes and sighed. "You don't know her…" she said again, weakly.

"I know." He replied softly. "I'm sure she must have had her reasons to not fight for you…not a good enough reason, but a reason I guess. What happened? What went wrong? You can talk to me about her."

Chloe swallowed thickly. Doug eyed her sympathetically and didn't remove his hand. The redhead wanted to trust him, to confide in him. In someone. And as much as she loved Beca, Chloe didn't want to burden the brunette or cause her to worry even more than she already did.

"I love her." She whispered. "I have for years. Since before all this mess…but she never noticed me really. She was with Stacie and then Stacie was killed by biters. Aubrey wanted to die too. But then I got hurt and she stayed alive for me…she took care of me. So I thought, hoped, that maybe she was starting to feel the same way I did. But she doesn't…She can't help the fact that she doesn't love me."

"She should love you." Doug replied quietly. "She's a lucky woman. And I'm sorry…the age old story of unrequited love. It's the worst."

Chloe continued to stare up into Doug's eyes and nodded. "Yeah, it is the worst."

He smiled softly before he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. "I can be your friend Chloe. I want to be more but I can be your friend if you'll let me."

The redhead swallowed thickly and nodded.

xxxx

A few weeks passed, quietly. For the time, Doug seemed content to let his plan of raiding the nearby camp drop. But he remained intent on pursuing Chloe.

The redhead tried to resist. But she couldn't deny that being wanted by someone completely was a welcome change.

"I love you." Doug panted into Chloe's neck.

She moaned, the feel of a twig or rock digging into her back distracting her from the pleasure she should have been feeling as the man on top of her made love to her in the woods a short distance outside of camp. He misinterpreted the sound as he stilled and propped himself up on his elbows to gaze down at the woman beneath him. He reached and brushed a stray strand from Chloe's forehead with a smile. Doug leaned down then and pressed their lips together.

"I love you." He said again. Chloe swallowed thickly but didn't reply. "I know…you're not ready to say it back yet. But you will…you'll love me back, I'll make you. But in the meantime…I know what you're really thinking."

At the man's smug grin, Chloe couldn't help but chuckle and roll her eyes. "And what's that?"

"That I was right…the sex is amazing. Well, that and 'thank god for condoms'. The end of civilization is no time to be bringing a kid into the world."

"Well you are right about that." The redhead replied softly. "No time at all."

Doug narrowed his eyes at the woman below him and simply shook his head before they quietly redressed and headed back to camp.

xxxx

Aubrey rolled her eyes as she tuned Jesse out. They were just returning from checking the windmill and the man seemed intent on chatting her ear off. The two rounded the corner of the manor home and Aubrey pulled to an abrupt stop.

"The fuck…"

Across the lawn, Aubrey spotted Chloe and Doug strolling together, the man's arm slung over her shoulders. The blonde's jaw dropped as she watched Doug pull Chloe closer to him and press their lips together. And she let him.

"That son of a-"

"Aubrey stop!" Jesse hissed, stepping in front of the blonde, about to charge the couple. "Stop! What are you doing?"

"He's kissing her!" Aubrey exclaimed incredulously.

Jesse sighed patiently, still standing in front of the angry woman. "And it looks like she's ok with it. Aubrey…you don't have the right to interfere. Just let it go…let _her_ go."

The blonde clenched her jaw and ripped her gaze from the pair ahead of her back to Jesse. "But she-"

"Is moving on." He interrupted. "You shouldn't hold her back. You don't want her but you can't keep her from finding someone who does. She deserves that. Come on Aubrey, she's your friend, you should want her to be happy."

"But _him_ , of all people!" Aubrey whispered miserably.

Jesse sighed patiently again. "Look, he isn't my favorite either. But she clearly sees some good in him."

"Yeah well, she sees the good in everyone, even people who don't deserve it." Aubrey growled.

"Even you?" Jesse replied with a smirk.

The blonde clenched her jaw. "Even me." She replied softly before turning on her heel.

"No, Aubrey wait!" Jesse cried when the blonde quickly strode off in the opposite direction. "I was just kidding! Aubrey, come back! Well shit."

He sighed as Aubrey continued without slowing and without a backward glance at the pair behind them.

xxxx

"I'm worried about Aubrey."

Beca glanced up at Jesse from her spot on the bed where she was unlacing her boots to get ready to sleep for the night. "Why? She suicidal again?"

"Come on Beca." Jesse replied with a sigh. "Be serious. I'm really worried about her. Chloe is with that Doug guy now and Aubrey just seems…lost. I feel really bad for her."

Beca sighed too and sat upright, facing her boyfriend. "You are like the sweetest guy ever, you know that right?"

He quirked a brow and moved to sit next to her on the bed and reached for her hand. "Snark and sweet, we go together like salt and pepper. Admit it Be-caw, we are the perfect couple."

The brunette laughed but nodded before pulling him in for a tender kiss. "We are that, you dork. Why are you worried, what happened?"

Jesse smiled softly and pressed their foreheads together before he pulled away, still holding her hand. "You should have seen her face today, when she saw Doug kiss Chloe. I mean at first, it was all red like she wanted to rip his vocal chords out with her bare hands, but then, it was just so sad. I think Aubrey's whole problem is that she doesn't think she deserves to be loved. From growing up with her father and then I'm sure she blames herself for Stacie dying, thinks she should have protected her. So she pushed Chloe away even though I think she actually does love her. Like really love her. Of course Aubrey loved Stacie but if you had seen her face today…it's just sad. Everyone should have someone, especially now."

Beca reached and cupped Jesse's cheek with a soft smile. "You're so sweet. Seriously, if not for what we did last night and again this morning…I would seriously question if you're gay. You're just that sweet and sensitive-"

"Shut up!" Jesse interrupted, turning to pin the small woman down on the bed with a laugh. "Stop trying to change the subject from Aubrey. I'm being serious here, she's hurting. And even if you don't care, I do!"

"Ok, ok!" Beca exclaimed, finally turning serious as Jesse's smile faded above her. "You know I have history with Aubrey…but that I do… _care_ about her…At least where Chloe is concerned."

Jesse laughed again and smiled tenderly. "Not just Chloe…you care about Aubrey too. I know you do. But yes, I know you two have history. Just…help me think of some way to help her, to let her know that we do all care about her. She's lost Stacie and pushed Chloe away but that doesn't mean that she's all alone. We're not the only ones that care about her."

Beca sighed. "You're right. She does shut down and push people away. And…I do care about her. But Chloe deserves to be happy and if she's happy with Doug-"

"We both know there is no chance she is happy with him." Jesse interrupted. "She loves Aubrey."

"She does." Beca replied with a groan. "But she's trying to move on. She deserves that chance."

"He's an asshole."

Beca sighed as Jesse smirked at her, still pinning her to the bed. "He is. I kind of hate that guy actually. And I'm just hoping Chloe will come to her senses. She has to, I mean that guy is a total douche!"

Jesse laughed finally and nodded. "He is. And she will. Not only because he is a douche, but because she loves Aubrey. Someone who gets her…someone who cares about her too…"

"Yes, I know, Aubrey cares about Chloe." Beca finally replied, rolling her eyes. "And contrary to what you might think…I don't _not_ want them together. I just want to be certain Aubrey appreciates the fact that Chloe is like the best person in the world and is completely in love with her. She has to deserve her."

"Bec," Jesse responded seriously, "she does deserve her. Because Aubrey is a good person. She's a damaged person but a good one. And she does love Chloe. She would die to keep Chloe safe, I know it. Hell, she'd die to keep either one of us safe, anyone in this camp! She deserves to be happy just as much as Chloe does."

Beca swallowed thickly but nodded. "I know. You're right, she does. Jesus Christ, I'm going to have to talk to them and try to patch up this Bella mess aren't I? As if the end of the world isn't enough to deal with…"

Jesse laughed and leaned down to press their lips together. "You're keeping us all together here Beca Mitchell. And I'm so fucking lucky to be able to say you're mine. I love you, in case you were wondering."

Beca smiled widely. "I love you too…dork. I'll talk to Aubrey and Chloe, make sure they're ok. I am not a matchmaker, I'm not going to try to hook them up. But I will make sure they're ok."

Jesse smiled. "I didn't expect anything less…because you love them both. That's all we want, for both of them to be ok, even if that means they're not together."

The brunette smiled again. "I love you. You're a good, kind man. And it's because of people like you that this mess is going to turn out just fine. I really believe that. But in the meantime, I'll do what I can to keep everyone in line and in one piece, so I'll talk to them."

Jesse held the brunette's tender gaze before smiling softly and glancing away awkwardly. But he quickly turned back to the woman he loved. "I will too. I've got your back woman."

Beca laughed before pulling Jesse closer and pressing their lips together gently.

xxxx

Beca squared her shoulders, preparing herself for the conversation she was about to have with Chloe. But before she could approach the redhead, Aubrey beat her to the other woman.

"Chloe!" The blonde barked. "We need to talk."

Beca groaned as Chloe turned to face the taller woman, her hands on her hips. "What do we need to talk about Aubrey?"

"Oh I think you know." Aubrey hissed. "Doug, really? Chloe he is reckless and irresponsible and just about the biggest asshole I've ever met!"

"Oh I don't know." Chloe replied, not backing down. "There are a few other assholes around here."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes as Chloe pursed her lips and stared back at her. "I suppose you mean me."

The redhead sighed and cast her gaze upward. "Come on Aubrey, I don't want to fight. I'm sorry you don't like Doug but this really is none of your business."

"He is dangerous!" Aubrey exclaimed. "That makes it my business! Out of everyone in this fucking camp, why him? You could have anyone you want, why him?"

"Anyone I want…Really?" She replied flatly with a pointed look.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Jesus, this is about you and Doug, not…anyone else!"

Chloe quirked a brow, her hands still on her hips. "Really Aubrey, are you sure about that? Because it sounds a little bit like you're jealous or something."

"Jealous." The blonde cried incredulously. "I am not jealous. Fuck whomever you want, I don't care! I just can't fathom how of all people you would want him. He got Lily killed and he wants to attack other camps and loot them. Doug is bad news. I just don't understand how you can't see that!"

Chloe clenched her jaw and crossed her arms tightly. "You were determined to not even give him a chance the very second he got here. Someone had to give him a chance."

"And of course it had to be you. Little Miss Fucking Sunshine. Come on Chloe, you have to know he isn't good enough for you. You deserve…"

"What?" Chloe asked, the blonde's softened tone cutting her like a knife. "What do I deserve?"

Aubrey held the redhead's gaze for a few moments before she turned her head with a sigh. "You deserve someone better than him. Someone…good."

"Aubrey," Chloe said softly, her heart clenching at the lost look on the blonde's face. "Aubrey would you please just talk to me? I hate fighting with you. Just because I'm trying to move on and get over you doesn't mean I don't still care about you. I do…quite a lot still in fact."

Aubrey snapped her gaze back to meet Chloe's and stared at her intently, as if searching for something. She finally blinked rapidly and dropped her eyes again. "I do want you to be happy Chloe. But…not with him. And if you insist on staying with him…well, then you can just stop caring about me. Because it's him or me."

Chloe's jaw dropped slightly as Aubrey's words sank in. The blonde nodded once as if steeling her nerves before she turned and walked away, her shoulders drooping slightly. Chloe blinked against the sudden sting of tears before she too turned and walked off, heading in the opposite direction.

Beca groaned again at having witnessed their exchange. "Fuck me those two are a hot mess."

xxxx

"Hey Chloe." Benji said with a smile, dropping onto the ground beside the redhead.

She glanced up from her spot on the ground where she was cleaning her pistol and smiled. "Hey Benji."

"I could get used to how calm things have been lately." The man stated, making small talk. "We even have some fresh vegetables out of the garden! We're practically farmers!"

Chloe chuckled. "Maybe we can find some overalls on the next run!"

Benji glanced at the woman next to him when she didn't offer any further conversation. He narrowed his eyes and glanced around, expecting to see Doug nearby. The two seemed nearly inseparable. "So where's your bodyguard? He doesn't seem to let you out of his sight for very long."

Chloe quickly glanced around as well, as if expecting Doug to pop up suddenly at just the mention of his name. "Yeah, he does appreciate togetherness." She finally said with a wry laugh. "I think he's out hunting with some of the others. Trying to find some meat to cure and maybe jerky or something I think."

"Chloe…are you ok?" Benji asked softly. "I can't help but notice you haven't really been yourself lately. Is everything ok with Doug?"

The redhead met his gaze and smiled sadly. "I'm ok, honest. Doug…is a little intense. But he means well, at least I think he does. But he's just a distraction and I think even he knows that, or at least he's figuring it out."

Benji nodded thoughtfully. "Why are you still with him? I mean, I get giving him a chance, at first. But you don't seem very happy with him now so…why?"

"He wanted me, he wanted me around." She replied with a shrug. "And after everything with Aubrey, she still wouldn't stay in the bed with me all night. I always still woke up alone. It was just sex to her and I needed to feel more than that, to feel like I meant something more than just a fuck to someone. And Doug made me feel like that. It was nice at first."

"And now?"

"It's suffocating." Chloe glanced back toward Benji then as if surprised that she had shared so much with her friend. "I'm sorry, how did we even get started talking about this? I shouldn't be whining to you."

"We're talking about it because I asked." Benji replied. "And I asked because we're worried about you and we want to make sure you're ok. Aubrey's worried too. And hell, we're all worried about her too!"

Chloe just nodded with a sigh. "Me too. I was hoping to fall for him but…it's still her."

Benji scooted closer and draped an arm around her shoulders. "I know. You know she does love you right?"

"Oh I know she does, in her own way." The redhead replied. "Keep an eye on her for me will you? She keeps herself so busy that sometimes I'd have to remind her to eat. I don't know who is reminding her to eat now…"

"Of course I will. Or…you could just talk to her yourself."

Chloe smiled but shook her head. "Not yet. Maybe once I've sorted things out with Doug. But I'm just so tired. I feel like I've been chasing Aubrey for so long…I just can't do it anymore."

Benji reached again and squeezed her shoulder. "Everything is going to work out just fine. You'll both be happy, I'm callin' it!"

Chloe laughed. "Here's hoping! What about you Benji? Any unrequited love in your life, or even better, how about some full on requited love?"

Benji shrugged with a sly grin. "There might be a certain nurse I've got my eye on-"

"Ashley! Oh my God that's perfect! She's such a sweetheart, have you made your move yet?"

"Nope, not yet." He replied smiling shyly. "But I'm working up the nerve."

Chloe leaned and bumped their shoulders together. "Right on Benji. I've got my fingers crossed for you! You're a good guy ya know that?"

He shrugged again, still smiling. "So how's the leg? Still got that awesome scar?"

"Oh god, seriously, it still looks like something chewed on my leg, like ground beef or something." She replied, pulling her pants leg up for him to see for himself.

He whistled lowly at the sight of her left leg with angry scars from below her knee to her ankle.

"You're sitting awfully close to my girl there Benny Boy."

They both snapped their gazes up to Doug as he came to a stop a few feet away from them. He stood staring at them, hands on his hips.

"Oh hey Doug." Benji said cheerfully. "How was the hunting, see anything?"

"Not much." Doug replied, eyeing the two suspiciously. "What's going on here? And Jesus Chloe, cover your leg. You know I can't stand the sight of that mangled shit."

Benjji quickly jumped to his feet, Chloe scrambling up after him. "Hey ease up Doug, we're just talking!"

"Are you sure you're not making a move on Chloe too? First Aubrey and now you? You got a thing for crippled bitches?"

"Doug, you are way out of line!" Chloe exclaimed.

Benji stepped between the two and squared his shoulders. "And I'm going to have to insist that you not disrespect Chloe like that. Watch your mouth Doug."

Doug glanced between the two one more time before chuckling. "Geez, lighten up! I'm only kidding. Chloe knows I think every inch of her is sexy as hell…even the mangled parts. And I know she's crazy about me so, your loss buddy! See you guys at dinner."

The man strode off leaving Chloe and Benji staring after him.

"I'm sorry." Chloe said softly. "He just gets a little carried away sometimes-"

"Has he ever hurt you?" Benji interrupted. "Because there will be a long line of people waiting to kill that asshole if he has."

Chloe quickly shook her head. "No, he hasn't. I promise Benji, I wouldn't let that happen more than once. I promise. He's just…"

"Yeah." Benji whispered, once again staring after Doug's retreating form. "He is not my favorite. Now I'm really hoping Aubrey gets her head out of her ass."

Benji smiled sadly before he turned and headed back inside. With a sigh, Chloe dropped back onto the ground to finish cleaning her pistol.

xxxx

"Stop." Chloe muttered. "Stop!"

Doug pulled away, confused. "What? What's wrong?"

The redhead pushed against him, pulling herself to a seated position as she distanced herself from Doug. He continued to press himself against her, trying to pull her closer.

"I just…I can't. Stop Doug, I can't. I don't _want_ to!"

Doug growled as Chloe shoved him away. He held on to her but didn't push further.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He hissed.

Chloe wrapped her arms around herself, shielding herself from Doug as he glowered at her. "I just don't feel like it."

"Got a headache do you?" Doug growled. "You've been getting a lot of those lately. What the fuck is going on Chloe? You've been like this ever since you talked to Aubrey a few days ago. What did that bitch say to you? Or was it that fag Benji yesterday?"

"Watch your fucking mouth!" Chloe exclaimed. "Don't talk about them like that. Benji is the reason you were let in here at all! And if even he doesn't like you then there is a serious problem…Benji likes everyone!"

"What did he say about me?" Doug yelled again. "Dammit Chloe, what the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you picking a fight with me?"

Chloe clenched her jaw and once again wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "I don't want to do this anymore. I thought I could make it work but I can't. I'm sorry Doug but…I'm done. This is over."

She quickly scrambled to her feet and took off back toward camp without a backward glance.

xxxx

Doug kept his distance but didn't let on that anything was wrong. He still put on a good show for the other camp members. And when he did corner Chloe to try to talk to her, she politely brushed him off. He had had just about enough of it but even he realized he was not a camp favorite and would need to be careful or he might find himself being forced out. So he waited.

A few days passed and he spotted Benji walking back toward the building, his rifle over his shoulder and his baseball bat firmly in his hand.

"You heading out somewhere?" Doug asked casually.

Benji glanced up and shook his head. "Nah, well I was supposed to. Cynthia Rose and Donald said they spotted a herd of biters yesterday while they were out on a run. So Uni and I were going out to scout the area a little better. But he twisted his ankle so I guess it's off."

"I'll go with you." Doug replied.

Benji stopped and turned back to eye the taller man cautiously. "It's ok-"

"No seriously," Doug said, cutting Benji off, "I don't mind at all. I'd sleep a lot better knowing there wasn't a herd heading this way about to bust through our fences. Seriously man, let's do it. It'll give us a chance to talk…for me to apologize about the other day. Sometimes I just let shit get to me, ya know? I shouldn't have taken it out on you and Chloe. So let's go, let's get to know each other a little better. We should be friends!"

Benji shrugged and laughed softly. "Yeah ok, if you're sure. I'd kind of like to be sure we're not in for trouble too. Grab your gear and we'll head out."

The two set out then, wanting to get out and back before too late in the day. With the days getting shorter with the fall weather, no one wanted to run the risk of getting caught outside of camp after dark. They walked a few miles, chatting off and on with no real sign of trouble. It was when they were just about to turn and head back that they heard the rustling and recognizable sound of biters moaning.

The two men crouched low to get a better view of the area ahead of them. A handful of biters were milling around but they quickly realized it wouldn't be too difficult to make their way around them and continue on to the camp without much trouble. It would be safer than trying to take them all on and risk alerting any others around to their presence. Doug slipped a few paces behind Benji as the man continued to eye the surroundings, trying to determine the best direction to go.

"So, what did you say to her?"

Benji glanced over his shoulder in confusion, not wanting to take his eyes off the biters up ahead of them. "Say what man?"

Doug stood to his feet. Benji quickly reached and attempted to pull the other man down and out of sight of the biters but Doug sidestepped him.

"Chloe. What did you say to Chloe?"

Benji remained in a crouched position, glancing back and forth between the taller man and the biters. "Come on man, you'll draw them to us. Quiet!"

Doug shook his head. "Not until you tell me what you said to her. She left me. But you already knew that didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Benji hissed. "I didn't say anything to her, I didn't have to. She's in love with Aubrey. Now please, keep your voice down!"

Doug cast his gaze toward the biters who by that point had taken notice of the two men and were slowly approaching, their jaws snapping.

"Shit, we have to go." Benji muttered. He stood to his feet prepared to run. When he turned on his heel, Benji was surprised to see Doug pointing his pistol directly at him instead of the biters approaching from behind. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"I don't like people getting in my business and Chloe is my business." The dark haired man replied smoothly. "And when Jesse and the others find out how we were ambushed by members of that camp in the factory across the river, they'll have to take my side and attack them back. So…thanks man."

Benji didn't have time to react before the gun went off and he toppled backwards. Searing pain shot through him and it took him a moment to register that he had been shot.

Doug had already turned and ran, knowing Benji would provide a distraction for the biters. The injured man scrambled to find his weapons as the first biter broke through the brush and lunged for him.

xxxx

"You just left him there?" Aubrey exclaimed.

Doug shifted awkwardly on his feet and clenched his jaw. "I told you. I couldn't carry him all the way back here. So I put him some place safe where those things couldn't reach him and I came back for help."

The blonde was already pushing past the man, checking to make sure her pistol was fully loaded. "He's injured and can't defend himself. He could have passed out from blood loss and wouldn't even know if a biter was on top of him. We don't leave anyone alone, _ever_!"

Doug rolled his eyes but followed after her. "I told you, I couldn't carry him. What was I supposed to do, sit there and wait for someone to come looking for us? I'm sure you'd be the first one out the gate to make sure I was safe and sound."

At the man's sarcastic tone Aubrey ground to a halt and turned on her heel and glared at him. "You better hope you don't ever have to find out."

"Come on you two, stop bickering like children. We have to get out there!" Chloe exclaimed.

With one final glare at the man, Aubrey once again turned on her heel and stomped away.

"You shouldn't be pissed at me!" Doug yelled after her. "You should be pissed at those guys from the other camp. They're the ones who jumped us!"

The group rushed off, medical supplies in hand. They had been walking for nearly an hour when Doug spoke up. They were almost through a small clearing with thick woods just ahead of them.

"It's not much further." He said pointing. "There was a big boulder I helped him climb up on. No way one of those things could reach him."

Jesse nodded and pushed himself to move faster.

"Wait." Chloe snapped, staring intently into the tree line. "There's something moving."

They all stopped and followed her gaze to where they were just able to make out what looked like a shadow weaving in and out of the trees approaching the clearing. They stared as the figure finally stepped into sight.

"Fuck." Beca exclaimed in a pained whisper as Benji appeared, stepping out of the woods into the clearing.

His shuffling steps were unsteady and his arms swung listlessly at his sides. Until he caught the scent of those who had some to save him. His arms lifted and he reached, his jaw snapping. The unearthly grunts and moans sounded throughout the quiet hillside.

Jesse wailed as he bent at the waist at the sight of his best friend. Beca dropped a hand to his shoulder and squeezed, unsure of how else to provide comfort as their friend slumped closer, his sunken eyes unseeing against the fading sunlight.

They all stood, watching as the young man, one of the few who had retained any shred of hope in the new world, trudged closer. Aubrey swallowed thickly and glanced around as Benji continued to step closer. No one was moving. No one else could.

The blonde stepped forward, her pistol hanging loosely in her fist. Benji's unseeing eyes settled on her and he lifted his lifeless arms once again. His lip snarled and his teeth snapped in anticipation.

"Benji…I'm so sorry." Aubrey muttered. "I'm sorry we didn't get to you before…You deserved better than this."

Aubrey tightened her grip on the pistol and raised her arm. "Goodbye Benji."

Benji's head snapped back the instant the shot rang out. Aubrey stood, smoke billowing from the barrel of her pistol long after the young man collapsed to the ground in front of them.

 **End Part Three**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N – Last chapter. Thanks so much for coming along for the ride. I do have bits and pieces of a continuation but it will be a while before it is ready. Thanks again!

 **Part Four**

 _Don't be scared._

 _I'm still here._

 _No more time for crying dear._

xxxx

Chloe steeled her nerves as she approached Aubrey's room. She hadn't been in that room since she had ended their affair nearly two months before. She briefly thought perhaps she was still in shock from what they had just witnessed and therefore had lost control of where her feet had taken her. But they had just lost someone and the redhead knew she had be certain Aubrey was alright. She wouldn't be able to rest otherwise.

As she neared the room, Chloe saw that the door was open. She stood in the doorway and watched for a moment as Aubrey stood at the window looking out, her back to her.

"Hey." Chloe said softly, knocking on the door.

Aubrey quickly turned to greet the other woman and a sad smile pulled at her lips. "Hi."

"Can I come in?" the redhead continued, uncertain of where they stood with each other. They hadn't spoken more than a handful of times and when they did, it usually dissolved into an argument over Doug.

"Yeah, of course!" Aubrey replied, stepping closer as if to welcome her.

Chloe smiled and nodded as she stepped further into the room, her hands clasped in front of her. She glanced around the room quickly, taking everything in. Nothing had changed since she left. Her eyes lingered on the bed briefly but she snapped them away, forcing the images of them together out of her mind.

Aubrey watched her, unsure of what to say. She always seemed to say the wrong thing and now that Chloe was back in their room, she realized she had no desire to fight and push her away again. She actually wanted her to stay. So she smiled softly at Chloe when she finally caught the redhead's eye. Chloe smiled back, some of the anxiety draining from her body.

"I-a, I wanted to check on you." She said quietly. "To make sure you're ok after…what you had to do."

Aubrey nodded, her smile fading slightly. "I couldn't leave him like that…Benji didn't deserve that! He…"

Chloe stepped closer as Aubrey's lip began to tremble. She reached for the blonde's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "Aubrey, you did what the rest of us couldn't. Benji would have wanted you to."

Aubrey nodded again. "I can't believe he's gone. How's Jesse?"

"He's pretty torn up." Chloe replied. "Beca's with him."

"And you? How are you?"

The redhead sighed and shrugged slightly. "Ok I guess. We should be used to losing people by now but it still sucks every single time."

Aubrey nodded in agreement. She clenched her jaw in an effort to hold her tongue. Chloe noticed and smirked slightly. When she caught the blonde's eye, Aubrey quirked a brow. "What, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're dying to say something but you're holding your tongue." Chloe replied. "I know that look. And I appreciate you trying to keep the peace even though I know you want to say something about Doug."

Aubrey sighed and dropped onto the edge of the bed, her hands clasped in front of her. She examined her fingers, unable to meet the redhead's eye. "Look Chloe…I've made it clear how I feel about him and even though I'm pretty sure he's to blame for Benji too…I don't want to fight with you anymore. I miss you and-"

"We're not together anymore." Chloe interrupted.

Aubrey was still staring at her hands and winced, Chloe's words biting for some reason. "I know we're not Chloe, I just-"

" _Doug_ and I aren't together anymore." The redhead clarified quickly.

The blonde snapped her gaze up to meet Chloe's bright blue eyes. The redhead felt her heart skip at the look she saw on Aubrey's face. It was a mixture of relief and maybe even hope. "You're not?"

Chloe shook her head and moved to sit next to Aubrey on the bed but made certain she left some space between them. "It just…didn't feel right. And don't say it's because he had a dick." She joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"No, it's because he _is_ a dick." Aubrey replied, a smirk of her own toying at her lips.

Chloe laughed in surprise before once again turning serious and shrugged. "Yeah…he kind of is."

Aubrey's brow furrowed and she reached to grab the shorter woman by her shoulder, turning her towards her. "Did he do something? Did he hurt you? Because if he did I will kill him, I'll-"

"No!" Chloe exclaimed in a rush to calm the blonde. "No, Aubrey he didn't. I swear! He's just…off somehow. And not what I want…I don't love him."

They sat gaze into each other's eyes, Aubrey staring intently as if trying to read for certain that Chloe was telling her the truth. The redhead smiled and dropped her gaze, her face flushing under the intense stare.

"I've missed you." Aubrey finally said softly. "You could always move back in here ya know."

Chloe glanced back toward the blonde. Aubrey had turned away and was once again picking at her nails and examining her own fingers as if they held the answers to all her problems. The redhead couldn't help but smile. The blonde seemed softer, kinder. Chloe swallowed thickly, determined not to let her heart win over her mind. For once.

"I don't think that's a very good idea." She replied, just as quietly.

Aubrey inhaled sharply before she nodded and straightened her back. "Ok, it was just a suggestion. You don't have to if you don't want to."

The redhead felt her heart clench as Aubrey once again schooled her features back into the hardened expression Chloe had grown accustomed to. But there was still sadness there too.

"I didn't say I don't want to." Chloe said gently. "I do actually. I've missed you too Aubrey but-"

"But what?" Aubrey interrupted. "We don't have to…have sex. We can go back to the way it was at first."

Chloe smiled, still somewhat sadly, but nudged the taller woman's shoulder. "Come on Aubrey, can you look me in the eye and honestly say we could do that? It wouldn't work. We'd be right back in bed together before the end of the week. We both know it."

"And would that be such a bad thing?" Aubrey exclaimed.

"Yes and no." Chloe replied with a chuckle. She turned her body to face Aubrey, making certain she had the blonde's full attention. She reached and took the taller woman's hands in her own and stared up into the gray-green eyes she loved.

"Aubrey, I love you. And I want to be with you, completely. But only if you can offer me the same thing in return. If not, I will always be your best friend. This isn't an all or nothing ultimatum, you won't lose me! But I won't share a room, or a bed, with you unless we can give each other everything. And it has to be your decision, I won't push you."

Tears pooled in Aubrey's eyes and Chloe reached to cup the taller woman's cheek, gently thumbing away the first tear to escape. The blonde reached and covered Chloe's hand with her own.

"I don't want to hurt you." Aubrey whispered.

Chloe smiled sweetly. "I know that, I do! I don't want you to answer right now. I want you to think about it and decide what you really want. You deserve to be happy too Aubrey. Just because we're living in a whole new, harsh world, that doesn't mean we don't get to find some happiness. So take some time and just think, figure out what would make you happy and I'm here for you, no matter what you decide, ok?"

Aubrey blinked away a few more tears and nodded, still holding Chloe's hands. "Ok."

"Yeah?" Chloe said, still smiling. "Good. Sort out whatever is going on in that head of yours woman. And I'll be here, no matter what."

Aubrey finally chuckled and nodded again. The redhead stood to her feet and pulled Aubrey up with her. She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around the taller woman and pulled her close into a tight embrace. Aubrey squeezed her back before the two finally stepped apart.

"I'm going to go check on Jesse." Chloe said softly. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok." The blonde replied. "Will you tell him…tell him that I'm so, very sorry. And that I…that-"

"I'll tell him." Chloe whispered, giving her hand one final squeeze.

Aubrey nodded. She smiled and gave a small wave when Chloe turned back one more time in the doorway before she slipped out of the room.

xxxx

"What are we doing still just sitting around here?" Doug exclaimed two days later as the group gathered somberly for breakfast. "We are wasting time! We need to get back out there go take care of that camp!"

A few of the men who arrived with him nodded their agreement. Jesse clenched his jaw where he was sitting with his back to the other man. "No."

Doug stared at him incredulously but Jesse refused to turn and acknowledge him. Beca reached and dropped a hand to his thigh from her spot next to him and squeezed gently in support.

"What?" Doug hissed. "Are you fucking kidding me? They killed one of your own and you're just going to let them get away with it? Is that really how you run this place?"

"If you don't like it you can always leave." Beca answered, turning an icy glare on the man.

Doug looked at those gathered at the table, gauging their level of support. No one seemed ready to side with him. He glanced around one last time hoping to find Chloe but she was nowhere to be seen. When his gaze landed on Aubrey he felt his blood begin to boil. "This is fucking ridiculous! You're all cowards and-"

Jesse slammed his fist down on the table and shot to his feet. Doug snapped his mouth shut as the man stepped closer to him, his fists clenched. "Beca's right. If you don't like it you can leave. Benji was my best friend and it's my call! So if you and your friends want to stay here, you will shut your mouth and stay out of my face. Otherwise, pack your shit and go. Are we clear?"

Doug looked over Jesse's shoulder where the others had all stood to their feet, ready to back their friend. The taller man shook his head with a disgusted look on his face. But he raised his hands and took a step back.

"Fine." He said. "It's your decision man. I think you're wrong but whatever."

When Doug and his friends turned and headed to the other side of the room to eat away from the others, Jesse finally exhaled. He clenched his jaw again and felt some of the tension drain from his body when Beca slipped her hand into his own.

"That was kind of hot." She whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

Jesse turned and met her gaze and finally a smile pulled at his lips. She winked at him and he let the small woman steer him back toward the table where their friends had once again taken their seats but were eyeing him and waiting to follow his lead.

"I can't stand that guy." Jesse muttered as he dropped back into his own seat. "Just something about him…he never should have left Benji out there alone."

Beca nodded, rubbing soothing circles on her lover's back. "Yeah. It's hard to imagine him being any more trouble that he already has been…but I have a bad feeling."

Jesse glanced over his shoulder to where Doug and the others had sat down and narrowed his eyes. With a sigh he turned back and also nodded in agreement.

xxxx

In the weeks that followed, Jesse and the others devised a plan for keeping Doug and the men from his camp busy. They tried to keep the Doug's group separate as much as possible as well, to avoid any chance of them trying to take control of the camp. During runs, only one or two from his group would accompany the larger force from the hotel camp. And Doug himself was rarely given more than manual labor around the camp.

He protested but his complaints fell on deaf ears. Finally, after nearly a week of garden and fence duty, he saw Chloe walking alone toward the garden to check the produce and quickly fell into step next to her.

"Am I being punished for something?"

Chloe glanced up at him and shrugged. "Have you done something to deserve punishment?"

Doug rolled his eyes and reached for her arm and pulled her to a stop. "Come on Chloe! You know me. You know I only want what's best for this camp! What's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied patiently. "I just do the jobs I'm assigned. If you really care about this camp, you'll do the same. If you want to gain back their trust, try doing your work and not complaining."

"So you admit they don't trust me!" He exclaimed. "Why? Is this about what happened with Benji?"

Chloe squared her shoulders and looked the man in the eye. "We don't leave anyone alone ever…especially not outside the safety of the fences. Benji was left alone and he died. That doesn't settle well."

"I explained what happened! I couldn't carry him all the way back, he would have died on the way and then I would have had to put him down and no one would have believed me. I was screwed either way! You guys have to give me another chance. _You_ have to give me another chance! I want to get back out there."

"I don't have any say in who does what job and who goes on runs." She replied, already walking back towards the garden once again. "Like I said, I just do what I'm assigned to do each day."

Doug scrambled to catch up to her. "But you got yourself put back on the run rotation."

The redhead glanced back up at him but didn't slow her pace. "Because my leg healed. I was only off the run rotation until my leg was strong enough. Now it is."

"Please Chloe, I'm begging you. Help me! I'm losing my mind here and your friends watch me like a fucking hawk. It's like I'm a criminal or something! Please…just put in a good word for me. You got a second chance, I deserve one too."

Chloe stopped then and once again turned to look him in the eye. She sighed. "I'll mention it to Beca. But it isn't my decision and I'm not going to argue with them."

Doug smiled excitedly and before the redhead could react, he lunged for her and swept her up into a strong hug, twirling her slightly. "I knew it! I knew I could count on you babe!"

Chloe stumbled slightly when he finally released her and took a step away from him. "This doesn't change anything, I can't guarantee anything. And don't call me babe."

"Jesus Chloe, what is your problem?" Doug asked with a frown. "Come on, I'm sorry about Benji and I'm sorry we fought. Let's just forget it and move on ok? I've missed you. We had a great thing going and we can get it back."

Chloe sighed and shook her head. "No Doug, I'm sorry but no. I can't."

"Is this about Aubrey?" Doug hissed. "Are you two fucking again?"

Chloe shook her head again and pushed past the man. "You just don't know when to quit do you? Drop it Doug, she and I are none of your business."

"You are!" he yelled. "You're letting her use you all over again! I can't believe you'd be that stupid! Come on Chloe, she doesn't love you, not like I do!"

"But I don't love you!" Chloe yelled back, finally being pushed to her limit. "So I'm sorry but you are going to have move on. And for your information, no, she and I are not back together. But I'm willing to wait for her because I love her. And because she's a good person! She never would have left Benji alone out there and she doesn't want to put everyone at risk and go out raiding other camps. She isn't perfect but she's perfect for me. And if you ever say another word about her, I'll make sure you are out of here before the end of the day. Have I made myself clear?"

Doug's eyes widened slightly at the woman's outburst. He cleared his throat awkwardly, a smirk playing at his lips. "You're pretty hot when you're angry."

Chloe clenched her fists and quickly turned on her heel and stormed off in the opposite direction. Doug laughed as he watched her go.

xxxx

A week later when Doug found himself on the run rotation, he was almost bouncing with excitement. He was just checking his rifle and pistol to be certain they were both loaded and ready when Chloe approached, a newly acquired ax in hand. He smiled widely and stepped closer, running a hand down her arm. "I suppose I have you to thank for this."

Chloe shrugged her arm away and shook her head. "Sorry to disappoint you but, I didn't have anything to do with this. It was all Jesse and Cynthia Rose, they work out the run schedules."

Doug smirked. "Whatever. You just wait, this run is going to prove to everyone what I am. Everything is going to be different after today, you'll see."

Chloe didn't answer but instead smiled shyly when she caught Aubrey's eye as the blonde also stepped closer to wait for the others. Doug narrowed his eye at witnessing the soft smiles the two shared but said nothing more.

xxxx

"No." Aubrey said firmly. "We don't split up. We never split up."

Chloe glanced sideways at Doug. The man made no effort to hide his anger at being second guessed by the blonde. He clenched his jaw and looked to the other members of their group but seemed completely unsurprised when no one volunteered to support his idea of splitting into two groups to shorten the time spent in the rundown town.

Beca squared her shoulders. "Doug, you know how we do things here…I agree with Aubrey. Splitting up is a bad idea."

The others agreed as well and Doug finally turned to Chloe, seething. "Well?"

Chloe sighed. "I'm sorry but I'm with them…we don't split up. You know that Doug."

"Of course!" Doug hissed. "Of course you would side with _her_!"

"What?" Chloe exclaimed, not missing the awkward looks on the others' faces and the smirk on Aubrey's. "This isn't me siding with anyone! This is _us_ being smart about this! We're safer as a group. Come on Doug-"

"Fine." The man replied, waving them off. "You all go start on the south end, I'll take this end and meet you."

"By yourself?" Chloe asked incredulously. "That's insane! Just come with us, it won't take that long."

"Nah." Doug called, already walking toward a building with a faded 27 above the door. "I'll take care of this end on my own."

"Doug-"

"Oh for fucks sake." Aubrey hissed walking after him briskly. "Doug, don't be stupid!"

The man spun on his heel and charged back towards the blonde. Both squared their shoulders, sizing the other up. "Stupid? Or just not willing to roll over for you like everyone else in this fucking camp?"

Aubrey smirked and rolled her eyes. "Lose the ego and get over yourself. You're being a child and wasting our time. You stayed here in our camp and agreed to be a team player and follow our rules. We don't split up, that's the rule. Now come on."

She turned and headed back to where the group was standing and eyeing them but glanced over her shoulder when she realized Doug wasn't following her.

"You may be able to push Chloe around but not me." He replied. "She's with me now so you might as well just get over it. That's what this is about isn't it? Chloe picked me and you can't stand it so you're trying to make me look bad in front of her."

Aubrey choked out an incredulous laugh. "Do you even hear yourself right now? This has nothing to do with Chloe…this is about you being a fucking idiot and trying to split the group up when it is obviously safer to stick together. Besides…Chloe said that you two-"

"Ok, I'm standing right here people." Chloe interrupted with a wave. "And at least now we can feel fairly confident that the area is pretty safe or every biter within twenty miles would have been attracted by the sound of your ridiculous arguing! Now let's get this over with before it gets dark and let's get out of here!"

Doug clenched his jaw and shook his head. "Like I said, I'll take care of this end and meet you."

He turned on his heel once again and strode toward the worn down building. Chloe's jaw dropped as he once again headed off alone. Aubrey simply shook her head. "Well let's go." The blonde said, motioning for Chloe to join them.

"No." Chloe replied firmly. "He can't go by himself, you know that."

The redhead pushed past the blonde to follow Doug and Aubrey quickly scrambled to grab her. "Chloe you can't be serious! He doesn't know what the hell he is doing! He is fucking reckless and-"

"Doesn't matter." She replied with a sigh. "We don't go anywhere alone…That's the rule remember?"

The sight of Doug smirking at her as Chloe once again stepped closer to him made Aubrey seethe. She too rushed closer to the man and shoved him roughly. "You fucking asshole!"

"Aubrey stop!" Chloe cried, pulling the blonde away from him, Beca and Jesse also rushing to separate them.

"No." Aubrey spat. "You are reckless and you're going to get someone killed just like you got Lily killed. Just like you got Benji killed! And you just better hope that someone isn't Chloe or I swear to God…I will kill you! Do you understand me?"

"Aubrey, easy." Jesse soothed, stepping between them. "We're wasting time. Doug, just go and clear those two buildings. We'll get the grocery store and the hardware store and come back tomorrow if we have to. Let's just do this and get back ok? Chloe, just come with us ok? Doug will be fine."

Chloe grimaced when she met Aubrey's pleading eyes. "I can't. He can't go in there alone."

The blonde clenched her jaw but nodded once resolutely. "Fine, then I'll go with him."

She moved to step around the redhead but Chloe grabbed the taller woman's arm to stop her. "No Aubrey, please!"

"Why not?"

"Because…Doug wouldn't hurt me." She replied, just softly enough for the blonde to hear. "And I'm not sure he would hurt you either but I also can't say that he would step in to help you if you were in trouble. But he would me. So please Aubrey, I'm begging you. Just let me go with him and get this done. Ok?"

Aubrey narrowed her eyes and glared at Doug where he stood looking impatiently back at the pair. Her stomach clenched and she felt certain she would regret her decision but Chloe seemed adamant. "Fine." She hissed. "But I'm warning you Doug…"

The man smirked back at her as Beca reached and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on Aubrey, let's just do this. You be careful do you hear me?" The brunette asked, directing a pointed look to Chloe.

"I will." She replied. "You too."

Chloe stood and watched her friends walking away for a few moments before turning back to Doug with a frown. The man smiled at her and nodded his head toward the far building. It was a two story home with a sloped roof covering the front porch. "Come on babe, let's see what we can find."

The redhead groaned. "I told you not to call me babe…besides, we talked about this…we're not together Doug. And you have got to stop trying to get under Aubrey's skin! She was completely right! It's stupid to split up and you know it. You're not doing yourself any favors by pissing off the group like this! I thought you said things would be different."

Doug seemed intent on ignoring her and walked closer to the house. The door opened easily and he stepped inside cautiously. Chloe tightened her grip on her ax and stepped in behind him. Doug tapped the wall lightly to draw any biters out. They stood frozen in silence as the tell-tale groaning sounded from somewhere deeper inside the dwelling.

From where they were standing, very little sunlight was allowed through the dusty windows. The house was still furnished and Chloe couldn't help but think it would have been charming at one point. But now the stench of death was thick in the air. And the groaning seemed to echo all around them.

"I don't like this." She whispered. "We have no idea how many there are or even where they are. Let's just go back with the others."

Doug shook his head, shouldered his rifle and moved deeper into the house. Chloe clenched her jaw and fought down a feeling of dread as she too stepped further into the dark home.

A long hallway led into the kitchen in the back of the house. Their eyes immediately snapped to a closed doorway off to the side that was shuddering against the pressing biters. From the sound on the other side of the door, there was a large number of them struggling to break through.

"Shit Doug." Chloe hissed. "Let's get the fuck out of here! That door is about to bust!"

"No." He replied calmly, already rifling through the cabinets and dumping the few canned goods into his sack. "It'll hold. Go check upstairs, maybe they had some weapons. I'll see what else I can find down here."

Chloe side stepped the still shuddering door and stepped back into the hallway. She was tempted to exit the home completely but once again reminded herself that they weren't supposed to split up…especially not any more than they already had. She squared her shoulders and stepped back into the kitchen and headed for the stairwell across the room. She had only made it up a few steps in the darkened stairwell when she heard the sound of wood splintering behind her.

Chloe quickly glanced over her shoulder as a swarm of biters began stumbling over themselves and spilled out into the kitchen through the broken door.

"Shit." She hissed. She turned and rushed blindly up the dark staircase, the biters sensing her movement and stumbled after her.

She was nearly to the top of the staircase when one of the old boards gave way beneath her foot and her left leg was plunged into nothingness. Her left leg screamed in pain as it twisted in the mess of the broken step. Chloe cried out in pain as she pulled herself up and out of the hole in the stairwell, glancing over her shoulder at the same time.

The biters were luckily clumsy and slow moving up the steps. Chloe growled through the pain as she forced herself up the remaining steps and rushed as quickly as her aching leg would allow down the upstairs hallway looking for some escape.

She came to a panicked stop and glanced back to where she had just come from. The biters stumbling around the corner quickly began to shuffle closer, their arms reaching. Chloe vaguely thought she heard the sound of a gunshot sounding from downstairs but couldn't give herself time to worry about Doug.

The redhead turned and ran toward the closed doorway at the end of the hall. She shoved herself through it and quickly slammed it closed behind her. She leaned against it heavily as the biters rushed the door and began to slam themselves against it in a frenzy for their next meal. With the sound of them groaning and the door thumping in her ear, Chloe almost missed the telltale hiss and moan inches behind her.

She turned quickly, barely having time to lift her ax to ward off the biter that she had inadvertently locked herself inside the room with. With one hand on either end of the ax handle, Chloe found herself unable to free herself from the biter's pushing momentum and she was forced backwards toward the lone window in the small room.

Chloe cringed before she twisted and thrust herself through the glass, the biter falling through right behind her.

xxxx

"I hate that guy." Aubrey hissed as the friends stepped into the small hardware store.

"Really?" Beca replied with a quirked brow. "You sure had me fooled."

Aubrey glared at the younger woman but quickly scanned their surroundings for any sign of trouble. It seemed quiet enough so the friends eased their way further into the store. It had been picked over already and Aubrey sighed at the sight of the mostly empty shelves.

"Well this doesn't look like it's going to be a very successful trip." The blonde muttered, referring to more than just the lack of canned goods.

Beca nodded as she too eyed her surroundings. "Ya know Aubrey," she said, not bothering to look at the taller woman. "You're not the only one who dislikes Doug…we all kind of do too."

She finally met Aubrey's eye and the blonde nodded, uncertain as to how she was respond.

"I just wanted you to know that we're on the same side here." Beca continued somewhat awkwardly.

Aubrey was just about to reply when the sound of a gunshot rang out. The blonde felt her stomach drop. She and Beca shared a quick look before they quickly sprinted out of the building, Jesse and Donald close behind.

"Fuck, which building did they go in first?" Beca yelled as they ran closer.

Aubrey didn't take time to respond, pushing herself to move faster to get to Chloe. She ground to a halt however, as a sudden movement in the second story window caught her eye.

"Chloe!" The blonde screamed as Chloe suddenly came flying through the window, a biter practically on top of her. The redhead hit the slanted roof over the porch with a thud before flipping and finally landing hard on the ground beneath her. The ax clattered to the ground as well, a few feet beyond her reach.

Aubrey was once again spurred into action as the biter landed in a heap a few feet away from where Chloe was still lying on the ground. The blonde ran with a yell as the biter pushed itself into a seated position and turned toward Chloe.

Aubrey lifted her pistol, taking aim as she ran. " _Chloe stay down!"_

Time seemed to slow as Aubrey tried to steady her hand. She released a steady breath and smoothly squeezed the trigger. The biter's head exploded backwards away from where Chloe had rolled away slightly at hearing the blonde's command. Beca rushed past both Aubrey and Chloe to make certain the biter had been disposed of.

Aubrey was trembling slightly when she finally dropped to her knees next to Chloe, who had finally pushed herself into a seated position. The redhead shook her dazed head slightly as if trying to clear it. Aubrey was almost afraid to look at the shorter woman, afraid of what injuries she would see.

"Ow." Chloe muttered pitifully.

The blonde finally looked up to meet Chloe's gaze. There was a thin trickle of blood dribbling down the side of the redhead's face were a small shard of glass could be seen lodged just above her eyebrow. Aubrey sighed in relief when she didn't see any injuries that resembled bite marks. She reached a shaking hand and squeezed Chloe's shoulder tightly, cupping the redhead's cheek with her other hand.

"God Chloe…Are you alright?"

The shorter woman winced slightly but nodded. "I'm ok."

The sight of Doug jogging around from the side of the house caught Aubrey's attention and with a growl she rose to her feet. She charged him before Jesse or Donald could stop her.

"I warned you!" she screamed. "You almost got her killed!"

Doug grabbed for Aubrey's swinging fists, but not before she had delivered a stinging blow to his face. She grinned in satisfaction at the sound of his nose crunching under her fist.

"Ah, fuck!" Doug yelled as Jesse finally pulled Aubrey away, still with her fists swinging. "Jesus, what is your problem?"

"My problem?" Aubrey screamed incredulously. "My problem is that you almost got Chloe killed, you fucking asshole! I warned you!"

"She doesn't look dead to me!" Doug hissed, holding his bloody nose. "Fuck! I found food and this is the thanks I get?"

Aubrey lunged at the man again but Jesse kept a firm hold on her. "You can take your fucking food and go! I don't ever want to see your face again! I was right about you, we were all right about you! You need to get the fuck out of our home! You are nothing but trouble…"

"Aubrey." Beca said firmly from behind them. "We have to get out of here…we have to get Chloe out of here ok? We'll deal with Doug later but right now, we have biters closing in and we need to go."

At the sound of Chloe hissing in pain, Aubrey spun on her heel. Beca was pulling the redhead to her feet and trying to steer her back toward the SUV, Chloe clearly trying to avoid putting weight on her left leg. She was also keeping one arm pressed tightly to her side, her shoulder looking suspiciously like it had been dislocated in the fall. Aubrey rushed toward them and grabbed the arm that Chloe didn't have clutched tightly to her side. She draped the redhead's uninjured arm over her own shoulders and half dragged, half carried the shorter woman back to the waiting vehicle.

xxxx

The SUV came screeching to a halt just outside the manor home. Aubrey quickly scrambled out of the car and rounded the other side of the vehicle to help Chloe out. Her hands were shaking as she helped the redhead make her way to Ashley's nursing station.

"I'm ok." Chloe whispered in reassurance as Ashely too began to flutter around checking for injuries.

The redhead eyed Aubrey worriedly as the blonde seemed nearly beside herself with worry.

"It's just a dislocated shoulder." Ashley finally said, hoping to ease Aubrey's nerves. "She's ok Aubrey."

"See, I'm ok Aubrey, I promise!"

Doug stood in the doorway watching the pair. He clenched his jaw at the sight of Chloe holding tightly to Aubrey's hand. When one of his men stepped closer, Doug squared his shoulders. "We clearly need our own camp."

xxxx

Chloe stretched tiredly, her injured shoulder aching. She had made her way to her own room a short time ago, claiming she simply wanted to rest. Thankfully the pain in her leg had subsided a bit. Aubrey had been almost adamant that she would remain with the redhead until Chloe finally asked her to go check on Beca. The redhead hadn't actually wanted to part with Aubrey but she simply hoped to convince the other woman that she was in fact fine. Aubrey's near panic had unnerved her. But Chloe smiled slightly at the thought, certain she understood what was playing out.

A slight movement over her shoulder caught Chloe's eye and she glanced up toward her open door. The sight of Aubrey leaning against the door and clutching the door handle behind her back caused her breath to catch. Aubrey's intense gaze caused the redhead to stiffen slightly. She stood to her feet and faced the taller woman. But still Aubrey remained motionless in the doorway.

Chloe could see Aubrey's jaw muscles clenching and she almost imperceptibly scuffed the carpet beneath her feet with the toe of her unusually bootless foot. Chloe's eyes narrowed at the sight of the blonde, barefoot and vulnerable and a shiver shot through her body at the intense look the two shared. The redhead squared her shoulders.

"Well…lock the door behind you." She said softly, never dropping Aubrey's gaze.

Aubrey seemed to release a shaky breath but did finally step further into the room and softly closed and locked the door behind her without breaking eye contact with the other woman. Even though their eyes held each other, Aubrey still remained motionless across the room as if unsure of herself.

Chloe sighed and crossed the room, stopping mere inches from the blonde who finally dropped her gaze. She reached for Aubrey's hand and squeezed it gently before raising it and placing it over her own heart. "Don't be scared…I'm still here." Chloe whispered before tapping her own fingers against Aubrey's hand that was resting against her heart. "And you're still here."

Aubrey once again lifted her eyes to meet Chloe's steady, clear blue gaze. She shivered at the unwavering love she saw in the shorter woman's eyes.

The blonde whimpered softly and in the next instant their lips crashed together, both reaching for the other at the same time. The kiss was needy and hungry, both desperately clutching the other. They barely broke for air as they pulled at each other's shirts until they were standing next to the bed, bare chested, and still kissing hungrily.

Aubrey finally broke away and buried her face in the shorter woman's neck, still clinging to her as if afraid she would vanish.

"I don't deserve this…you." Aubrey whispered, her lips trembling.

Chloe smiled kindly and squeezed the taller woman tightly before prying Aubrey away just far enough to gaze up into her green eyes. She stepped up onto her toes and pressed a soft kiss to Aubrey's cheek. "Some things never change Aubrey Posen. Your father is dead and gone but he is still in your head. You saved me today remember? And you were completely right about today too…we shouldn't have split up. Give yourself a little credit will you?"

Aubrey choked out a wry laugh and shook her head. Chloe frowned when she saw the blonde's eyes were teary. The redhead winced as she raised her hands to cup both of the taller woman's cheeks. She held Aubrey's gaze and smiled once again before turning serious. "Now why don't you let me be the judge of whether or not you deserve me?"

Chloe then pulled the blonde closer and gently pressed their lips together once again. Aubrey whimpered as she deepened the kiss and clutched Chloe's bare back almost desperately. Without thinking, she squeezed the smaller woman's injured shoulder, causing Chloe to hiss in pain.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry!" Aubrey cried, realizing what she had done.

She tried to break away but Chloe held on forcing out a laugh. "It's ok Aubrey, I'm fine. I won't break, I'm fine…I'm here."

Chloe then flattened her own palm against Aubrey's chest. Her lips quirked into a smile as she felt the steady rhythm of the blonde's heart beneath her hand. "I'm here."

Aubrey swallowed thickly and nodded. She covered Chloe's hand with her own. "You're here."

Chloe's smile widened. Aubrey finally smiled then too and gently pushed the redhead back the remaining few feet to the lone bed in the room. When her legs hit the bed behind her, Chloe stopped and with a smirk, used her uninjured arm to undo her pants, letting them slide down her slim legs.

Aubrey's breath caught as Chloe stood before her, completely bare and vulnerable. The blonde inched closer and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman and helped ease her backwards onto the bed. Their lips met again and Chloe arched into the taller woman. Aubrey moaned into Chloe's neck as her own hips bucked to meet the redheads.

Chloe began to frantically push at Aubrey's trousers, desperate to feel skin underneath her hands. The blonde pulled away and kicked the offending garment from her body before she once again straightened to her knees and moved to straddle the shorter woman. She sat gazing at the woman below her momentarily before leaning forward to again press their lips together.

Chloe moaned heatedly into the kiss and once again arched. Aubrey moved with her, pulling her into an upright position and into her lap. They both groaned as their bare centers connected. They rocked together, kissing passionately until Chloe broke apart, her head thrown back as she panted.

Aubrey once again eased the smaller woman back onto the bed, not content until she felt and tasted the redhead beneath her. She kissed her way down Chloe's chest, moaning as the redhead's hips once again bucked against her.

"Oh God, Bree."

The blonde smiled at the sound of her old nickname on her lover's lips just as she connected her own to Chloe's center. The redhead released a breathy moan and fisted a handful of blonde hair. Aubrey only had time to run her tongue along the length of Chloe's center before she was desperately being pulled back up to the head of the bed.

"I need to see you…please Bree."

The blonde swallowed thickly at the look in Chloe's eye. She nodded, still holding the redhead's gaze as she skimmed her hand back across Chloe's thighs and then slipped her fingers into the wet warmth that met her. Chloe gasped but a smile toyed at the corner of her mouth as she too reached to caress the taller woman.

Aubrey felt her heart both break and soar at the feel of Chloe coming undone beneath her a short time later, "I love you" falling from the redhead's lips almost involuntarily. The blonde moaned as she felt Chloe clench around her fingers as the shorter woman's body stiffened with her climax. Aubrey groaned when she felt her own release following shortly behind, even as Chloe's fingers had stilled. She finally wrapped her other arm around Chloe and allowed her weight to settle on top of the redhead as they both attempted to catch their breath. Aubrey dropped her forehead to the shorter woman's shoulder.

A few moments passed and she once again raised her head to gaze down at Chloe beneath her. The two wordlessly held each other's gazes, mere inches separating them. Aubrey shifted and reached a trembling hand to gently brush a lock of hair from Chloe's forehead. The shorter woman smiled softly up at the blonde but her smile wavered at the serious look on Aubrey's face.

"Chloe…I think I lo-"

"Don't." Chloe interrupted, quickly pressing her finger against Aubrey's lips. The blonde just blinked in surprise. "Don't say it. Not yet. Today was scary and you're upset. So don't say it today. Don't say it until you're sure. Because if you say it and regret it or…don't really mean it…I don't think I could take that. Ok? We have plenty of time."

Aubrey laced her fingers with Chloe's and licked her lips. Instead of replying she simply nodded. The redhead nodded as well, seemingly relieved. Aubrey rolled onto her back, pulling Chloe with her, and wrapped her arm around the shorter woman's shoulders.

Chloe sighed in contentment as she settled in next to the blonde and draped her arm over the thin woman's waist. They both lay in comfortable silence for a while before either was able to finally find sleep.

xxxx

Chloe blinked her eyes open and stretched lazily. She smiled at the sight of Aubrey sleeping peacefully in the bed with her. The redhead was sprawled half on top of and half beside the other woman and the blonde had one arm curled tightly around her. Chloe reached and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind Aubrey's ear. The blonde sighed contentedly and tightened her grip on Chloe in her sleep.

Chloe was still smiling when she glanced over her shoulder at the sunlight streaming through the windows. It was getting late and she was on watch duty soon. She groaned and dropped her head to Aubrey's shoulder before shaking the sleeping woman gently.

"Bree…Aubrey."

"Mmm." The blonde muttered as her eyes fluttered open. Chloe briefly feared what Aubrey's reaction would be to having slept the entire night in the same bed. Her breath froze as Aubrey's sleepy mind cleared. Chloe released a relieved sigh when the blonde smiled back at her. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Chloe replied, smiling. "Sorry to wake you but…I have to leave for watch soon. Just didn't want you to think…well you know."

Aubrey's lips twitched as she twirled a wild red lock of Chloe's hair between her fingers. "Didn't want me to think you were going to sneak out without leaving me your number?"

Chloe laughed and nodded. She found she couldn't stop smiling. The morning was different, she could feel it.

"Are you sure you're ok for watch?" Aubrey continued. "How's your shoulder? Maybe you should stay in and rest."

Chloe shook her head. "I'm ok. Jesse won't let me over do it. Beca would kick his ass."

The blonde smirked but nodded in agreement. "Speaking of Beca, she and I are on fence duty today. I have no idea how that happened. That will be a great time, just the two of us all day checking the perimeter fences…all ten miles of them."

Chloe chuckled and squeezed the blonde, still laying casually in her arms. "I'll talk to her at breakfast and tell her to be on her best behavior."

"Oh hun, not even you can make the two of us get along." Aubrey replied with a laugh. She squeezed Chloe one final time before the redhead reluctantly rolled out of bed.

The blonde sat up and tucked the sheet underneath her arms as Chloe dressed to head down to breakfast. Just before she slipped out of the room, the redhead glanced back over her shoulder and smiled at Aubrey who was watching her every move.

They held each other's gaze for a few heartbeats before Aubrey spoke softly. "So I'll see you later…and maybe we can talk...about us and stuff?"

Chloe smiled again and nodded before she slipped out of the room and closed the door softly behind her.

" _Us and stuff_?" Aubrey muttered with a mortified groan as she flopped backwards onto the bed.

xxxx

Chloe couldn't contain her smile as she joined the others for breakfast. Beca quirked a brow when the woman dropped into a seat across from her, whistling happily. She and Amy shared a glance without Chloe noticing.

"I take it you had a good night." Amy finally said with a wink.

A blush crept across Chloe's cheeks but she didn't respond. Beca just narrowed her eyes and decided to wait until she found a moment alone with her friend. She finally found it as they all began to scatter for their daily chores. Before Chloe could wander off to begin her day of watch, the brunette reached for her arm to stop her.

Chloe turned to her. She didn't seem surprised at having been stopped. "I'm supposed to tell you to be nice to Aubrey today while you two are out checking the fences."

"Are you?" Beca replied with a snort. "I knew that bitch was afraid of me."

"Hey!" Chloe exclaimed. "Don't call her a bitch. She's-"

"She's what?" Beca challenged. "She's your fuck buddy again? Chloe, what are you doing?"

The redhead sighed patiently and stepped closer to her friend. "It's different." She said softly. " _She's_ different. I don't know what changed exactly but I just know things are different. I could feel it. She stayed, she…she loves me."

"Did she tell you that?" Beca asked defensively. "I know you want to believe that, I know you love her but Chloe-"

"She didn't have to tell me!" The redhead exclaimed. "I could feel it, I know she does. She's pretty closed off…much like someone else I know and happen to care a lot about."

Beca sighed and rolled her eyes. Chloe continued before giving her a chance to respond.

"I know you mean well Beca. I know you're worried about me and I love you for it. You're my best friend. But I know Aubrey and she loves me. Even when she was…crazy and neurotic with the bellas or even crazier and mourning Stacie…she never wanted to hurt me. And she won't intentionally hurt me again."

"She better not." Beca replied softly. "Because she may be taller than me and she may have turned into kind of a badass once the world went to shit but I can still kick her ass. And I will if she fucks you over again!"

"I'm counting on it." Chloe responded with a smile.

Beca finally smiled but sighed again. "Alright Chloe. Alright. You love her. I may not ever understand it but you're my best friend and so, ok. Just be careful, that's all I ask. And you better believe I'm going to have a word with her today…but I promise I'll be as nice as I possibly can be."

"That isn't saying much bitch."

Beca barked out a laugh and slapped the redhead on her uninjured shoulder before rolling her eyes once again and stomping past her friend to begin her day's chores.

xxxx

Aubrey and Beca were on the second mile of fence before they spoke more than the obligatory hello. Finally the brunette came to an abrupt stop. Aubrey rounded to eye the smaller woman suspiciously. Beca narrowed her eyes and stared at the taller woman as if sizing her up.

"Well?" Aubrey said, already resigned to the conversation that obviously was coming.

"Chloe loves you." Beca stated plainly.

The blonde blinked and swallowed thickly. "I know that. And trust me…I already know I don't deserve it."

The two stood staring at each other for a few moments more before Beca relaxed slightly, but still stared at the blonde with a quirked brow and firm gaze. "Jesus. You have some serious self-worth issues. But I guess as long as you're already aware of the fact that you don't deserve her it will cut my speech in half."

Aubrey dropped her gaze to the ground and kicked at a clump of dirt with her boot. "I'm well aware. So skip to act two if you don't mind."

Beca sighed. "Aubrey…as much as you may think otherwise…I don't hate you."

The blonde glanced up to the shorter woman in surprise.

"I don't even necessarily hate the idea of you with Chloe." She continued. "But you're really fucked up do you know that? Like… _really_ fucked up."

Aubrey clenched her jaw and cast her gaze back toward the ground at Beca's feet. Her father would be so disappointed. Posen's held their opponents gaze without faltering, crushed them with it even. And here she was, appearing as nothing more than a coward. She squared her shoulders and lifted her gaze to meet Beca's once again.

The brunette sighed. "Just tell me one thing. Why is Chloe convinced that this time will be different? You should have seen her at breakfast…she was practically glowing. You did that. And while I'm happy that she is so happy…I need to know that it's going to last…unlike last time. So tell me why, why is this time different?"

"I-she…"

"Not good enough." Beca hissed. "Why?"

"Because it is!" Aubrey exclaimed. "I can't explain it! It just is. I love Stacie…I _loved_ Stacie. And I will always love her. But I've also always loved Chloe…from the moment I met her freshman year at Barden. She just barged right in and didn't even give me a chance to push her away. I loved her then. And I love her now. But it's different now. I love her every bit as much as I ever did Stacie but…still a little bit differently. They're so different…Stacie was so confident…so sure that everything would turn out alright because she said so. Chloe…She thinks things will turn out alright because the she thinks the world is actually still a good place. Even with all the shit going on. She's sunshine…Chloe is all that is good and pure in this fucking miserable world. And she loves me. _Me_. I don't know how it changed but it did. _I_ changed. I didn't think I could ever love again after Stacie but I do. I would die for her…gladly. I love her. I love Chloe."

Beca stood frozen to her spot after the blonde's adamant declaration. She wanted to argue but she couldn't deny the sincerity she saw shining in Aubrey's eyes. She nodded. "Ok. Fine. But just know that if you hurt her again I will fucking kick your ass!"

Aubrey stared back at the brunette for a few moments before she pursed her lips and nodded. "I would hope so."

Beca blinked. She had wanted to argue with the blonde, to yell at her. But Aubrey was making it very difficult. She was being far too agreeable. The brunette finally nodded with a sigh and the two continued on their perimeter duty in silence.

They only made it another half of a mile before Jesse appeared in the distance yelling and running at full speed. Aubrey's breath caught. Jesse should have been on watch with Chloe.

"Jesse, what's wrong?" Beca exclaimed as they finally reached each other. "What's going on?"

The man was bent at the waist with his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. "Doug." He wheezed. "Doug and his men took off."

"Took off where?" Beca cried.

"Took off to raid and take that camp he's been talking about. They took most of the guns."

"Fuck." Aubrey hissed. "Let him go. We're well rid of him I'd say. I knew that guy was bad news…I tried to warn you people but-"

"Chloe went after him to try to stop them." Jesse muttered, still trying to catch his breath.

The air left both Aubrey and Beca's lungs at the man's declaration.

"She what?" Aubrey hissed.

She shoved past Jesse and broke into a run back toward the hotel.

xxxx

By the time Beca and Jesse made it back to the main grounds, they were told Aubrey had already arrived a few minutes before and taken a jeep to chase after Chloe. The two of them along with Cynthia Rose and Donald jumped into the remaining vehicle and gave chase as well.

They sped toward where the other camp was located and abruptly pulled to a stop at the sight of the jeep sitting alongside the road. Aubrey was climbing a ten foot chain link fence when they reached her.

"Aubrey wait!" Beca yelled.

"Shit, I see them!" Donald yelled, pointing across the open field.

Sure enough, Chloe could be seen standing alone facing Doug and his men who were perched behind cars and crates with their guns drawn and aimed at the building behind the redhead.

"Stop this!" Chloe yelled. "You don't have to do this! No one has to get hurt. We shouldn't be fighting each other…we should be helping each other, we should stick together!"

"Get out of the way Chloe!" Doug yelled.

"No!" Chloe yelled again. "I'm not moving. This camp has women and children… _we_ have women and children. What do you think is going to happen if you go through with this huh? You think they're just going to let us be?"

"Doug!" Shouted a voice from inside the building. "Listen to her! Just take your guns and go. We don't want any trouble but you're outnumbered and out gunned and we will shoot if we have to, so just go! We let you go once and we will again but this is your last warning!"

"Doug…" Chloe said softly. "They know you. How do they know you Doug? Answer me, how the fuck do they know you?"

The man stood to his feet angrily. "Because they kicked us out and left us to die! They don't deserve to live! Now get out of the way Chloe! We are taking this camp!"

"Shit." The redhead hissed. "Why did they kick you out? What did you do?"

"Nothing!" Doug yelled in return. "We didn't do anything to deserve it! These fucking assholes turned us out on our own to die! And now you're about to do the same so we have no choice! Now get the fuck out of the way!"

Chloe turned to glance over her shoulder toward the building, as if hoping someone would step forward to explain the situation. "What is going on?" she cried before turning back to face Doug. "You killed Benji didn't you? Because you thought then we'd side with you and agree to attack the camp. Oh my God."

Across the field Aubrey dropped the ten feet to the ground on the other side of the fence and stumbled before trying to pull herself to her feet. " _Chloe_!" She screamed desperately.

Doug glanced over his shoulder at the sound of that voice. He scowled at the sight of blonde hair. He didn't need to guess twice at who the woman was. He turned back to face Chloe and raised his pistol.

"Doug no!" Chloe screamed.

The world seemed to explode with gunfire then. Aubrey screamed again but was tackled to the ground by Jesse before she could run into the crossfire. She tried to shove him off of her but he held on tightly.

"Let me go! Chloe's down there!"

"I let you go and you run right into the middle of it and get yourself killed." Jesse grunted against the flailing blonde.

She continued to struggle but in less than a minute it was over. The shots faded into an eerie silence. Aubrey raised her head, desperate for some sign of Chloe. She could make out bodies, a lot of them.

"Chloe?"

Aubrey finally broke from Jesse's hold and stumbled through the field closer to the scene. She ignored the sight of a few people beginning to cautiously step out of the building, their guns still raised. Aubrey choked out a cry when she finally spotted Chloe on the ground ahead. "No, no, no, no."

She sprinted across the field and dropped to her knees next to the redhead who had her hands clutched to her abdomen, blood pooling on the ground beneath her. Aubrey frantically leaned over the other woman and cupped her face.

"Chloe, Chloe look at me!"

The redhead swallowed and clenched her jaw against the pain. "Aubrey. I-I'm so sorry. I d-didn't mean…I didn't mean for this to happen."

"No." The blonde whimpered. "No, you don't get to leave me too. You're going to be fine. I'm going to take care of you! You're going to be fine!"

A pair of boots stepped into her peripheral vision and Aubrey glanced up. The figure was nearly impossible to make out with the glaring sunlight directly behind it. All Aubrey could make out was the barrel of a gun pointed directly at her.

Chloe grunted and raised her arm, trying desperately to shield the blonde from the man aiming the pistol at her. Aubrey grabbed her hand and once again pressed it her wound, hoping to staunch the flow of blood.

"Please." She said to the man, squinting against the man's silhouette in the blinding sunlight. "Please let me take her back to our camp where we can try to help her. We don't mean you any harm! This was all on them, we had nothing to do with it! She tried to stop them! _Please_! If-if you need supplies, we'll share ours…anything! Just please let me try to help her. I can't lose her! I'm begging you."

"Step aside Sam."

The man with the pistol faltered slightly but didn't lower the weapon. "Are you crazy Jim?"

"Easy man, we don't want any trouble." Aubrey heard Jesse claim from a short distance behind her.

An older man with white hair and kind eyes stepped between them and gently lowered the other man's hand. "She's right. This girl tried to stop all of this; she tried to save all our lives. The least we can do is try to return the favor."

The man then dropped to the ground and looked closer at the wound. "The bullets still in there, we've got to get it out. Glen, help me get her inside!"

And suddenly a younger man stepped closer and scooped Chloe up from the ground. Aubrey scrambled after them as they quickly rushed inside. A crowd of people from the camp had gathered outside by this time but they all parted to make a path for them. She followed the men until Glen finally placed Chloe onto a low table in sterile smelling room with medical supplies lining the walls.

"Can you help her? Are you a doctor?"

"I am." The older man replied. He was already pulling Chloe's shirt away from the wound and reaching for what Aubrey could only assume was something to begin cleaning it. "I can stitch it closed but it might be best if we burn the wound closed instead. It's quicker."

"Aubrey?"

The blonde quickly scooted closer to hover over Chloe and once again cupped her face while Jim continued to tend to her. "I'm here Chloe, I'm still here. Just hang on. He's a doctor, he'll help you. You're going to be ok."

The older man's movements faded from Aubrey's attention as she leaned over the redhead, whispering to her softly, willing her to remain with her.

Chloe's eyelids began to droop and Aubrey shook her slightly. "No, please you have to stay awake! Please Chloe, don't leave me!"

"It's alright." Jim soothed. "I've given her something for the pain. It'll make her sleep. Just sit with her, keep talking to her. She can hear you."

Something about the man's soft eyes and soothing voice calmed Aubrey's fear and she nodded. When she turned back to Chloe, the redhead's eyes had already drifted closed.

A short time later Jim stepped away to clean the blood from his hands. Aubrey barely noticed as she continued to gently run her hand through Chloe's hair and stroke her forehead. She finally glanced up as he was just about to exit the room.

"Thank you." She called softly.

The man smiled kindly and nodded. "Your friends have been waiting to see you two. I'll show them in."

Sam stood off to the side and watched as Jim slipped from the room. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Look Miss…you can stay here but I can't let you keep your weapon. You understand."

Aubrey pulled herself away from Chloe only long enough to slowly unholster her pistol. She unloaded the weapon, leaving only two bullets in the magazine. "Take the rest. I'll only need two bullets if she dies."

Sam sighed but nodded as she returned to her position next to the injured woman.

xxxx

An IV was set up and Chloe seemed to be resting comfortably. The other members of the camp helped gather the weapons Doug and his group had brought and loaded them into the two vehicles. They also helped dispose of the bodies, both the ones that had turned and those that hadn't. Only two of the men who stormed the camp had survived the initial gun battle and one was Doug.

While Jim was tending to Chloe, another camp member approached Jesse and Beca to ask what they wanted done with the two. It was fairly obvious that Doug would not survive his wounds but the other would.

"Let him turn." Beca replied coldly. "Then deal with him. The other guy…do whatever you want."

"How do you all know Doug by the way?" Jesse asked. "Did you really kick him out of your camp?"

"Only after he got three of us killed." The other man said with a nod. "Those things got inside and he locked three of our people in a room with them. There was plenty of time for them all to get out but he just wanted to make sure he got himself out. One was just a kid."

"He got what was coming to him." Beca said. "Let him turn."

The man nodded before motioning for the two to follow him to where Chloe was resting.

xxxx

Cynthia Rose and Donald took the jeep back to let the others at their camp know what was going on. Beca and Jesse stayed with their friends until the following morning.

Aubrey could have sworn there were tears in the small woman's eyes as she and Jesse pulled away. She promised to come back the following day to check on them. Aubrey even allowed Beca to pull her in for a quick hug before she left.

The blonde then returned to her watch over Chloe. The redhead was still unconscious and showed little sign of life other than her shallow breathing. Aubrey found herself almost wishing for the panicked delirium Chloe suffered from when her leg had grown infected. But the woman was eerily still.

"Chloe." Aubrey said softly as she settled back into her spot by the bed. She lifted Chloe's limp hand and raised it to her lips.

"Chloe." She said again. "I'm still here. I'm still here Chloe. I kept my promise to you. And you don't get to leave me here in this fucking miserable world alone. Please Chloe, wake up. I love you."

xxxx

Beca returned the following day as she said she would. Chloe's condition was no worse but the eerie stillness was beginning to unnerve Aubrey. Jim returned every few hours to check on her and would smile patiently at the pair's worried questions.

"She's resting." He replied after once again checking her wounds for any sign of infection and finding none. "I know you're worried about her. She'll wake when she's ready."

When he once again slipped quietly from the room, Beca glanced to her side where Aubrey was once again hovering over Chloe and gently stroking her forehead.

"I like him." The brunette said quietly.

Aubrey smiled softly and nodded. "He's very…calm."

"And he doesn't seem too worried about her." Beca continued. "So…I'm not either. She'll be fine Aubrey. She's tough."

The blonde nodded once again. "She is."

"Aubrey…Sam told me about the two bullet thing."

"Ok."

"Come on Aubrey." Beca replied softly. "You shouldn't…Even if she doesn't…Fuck. We all care about you ok? Seriously. Chloe would kick your ass if she knew what you're thinking."

"She would." The blonde responded, still without taking her eyes off of the injured woman. "But, she's also all that is good and pure left in this fucking miserable world. What's left without her? What's left for me? She's the reason I survived losing Stacie. She's the last thing for me."

"And she'll be fine Aubrey, you'll see." The brunette said again. "And we'll go back to our camp. It's safe there and we'll get by like we have been. And who knows, maybe it'll even get better. Just don't give up on me… _her_ now…ok?"

"I'm here as long as she's here."

"Good. You're not going to need those bullets because she's going to be fine."

"Ok."

Beca sighed sadly, realizing the blonde had said all she intended.

xxxx

A few more days passed and the redhead was thankfully doing well under Jim's care and Aubrey's constant vigil. Beca too spent her days keeping Aubrey company but would return home to their own camp in the evening.

Chloe did seem to be improving and some of the blonde's dread was fading but she was certain she wouldn't be able to rest easy until Chloe was awake and smiling at her. Until they were able to talk.

She sat for most of the day, dozing off occasionally or humoring Beca with small talk, but she remained by Chloe's side. It was after nearly three days, late in the evening, when the redhead finally began to stir. The blonde scooted closer, anxiously watching her. Finally, bright blue eyes slowly blinked open.

Aubrey's eyes were tearing and her lips trembling but she returned Chloe's smile when the redhead's gaze finally settled on her.

"Hey." Chloe whispered.

"Hey yourself." Aubrey replied, pressing her lips to Chloe's hand. The shorter woman squeezed the blonde's hand weakly before brushing her index finger against Aubrey's cheek.

Aubrey smiled. "I'm getting tired of waiting for you to wake up like this. Bear traps and razor wire and now a gun fight? I'm starting to think you're trying to ditch me or something."

Chloe chuckled and squeezed Aubrey's hand again. "You ok?"

Aubrey choked out a laugh through her tears and shook her head. "I'm not the one who was shot Chloe. I'm fine…well I am now that you're going to be ok. Think you could try not to scare the shit out of me again?"

"Sorry about that." Chloe whispered. "I didn't mean for…this to happen. You already lost too much. I just wanted to stop them. I didn't-"

"Shhh, it's ok." Aubrey soothed, hoping to calm Chloe before she could become too upset. "I know. So am I allowed to tell you now that I love you? Because I do. I love you Chloe. I wanted to tell you the other morning…before you went and got yourself shot. I love you."

Chloe smiled tiredly and pulled their joined hands to her lips, pressing a kiss to the blonde's hand still clasped in her own. "I know you do. I've known for a while. I was just waiting for you to realize it too. Took you long enough."

The blonde laughed again. She leaned down and pressed her lips to Chloe's forehead and hummed in contentment.

"I love you too by the way." Chloe mumbled as her eyes once again drifted closed.

"Yeah," Aubrey replied with a tender smile. "So you've been telling me."

Chloe smiled again and then she was asleep.

xxxx

Chloe settled comfortably in the back seat of the jeep leaning against Aubrey. The blonde helped her get situated and wrapped her arms around her, careful not to jostle the woman too much. They were finally going home, back to the hotel.

"We'll be in touch." Sam said shaking Jesse's hand.

"Sounds good." He replied. "Thanks again for everything."

Sam, Jim, Glen and the others waved goodbye as Jesse and Beca returned to pick up their friends. Nearly two weeks had passed and they finally felt the redhead was well enough to travel.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The breeze from the open windows of the jeep caused their hair to flutter in the wind. Aubrey smiled as a wild red strand blew up to tickle the side of her face. Chloe dropped a hand to her thigh and gave it a loving squeeze as Aubrey tried to tame the stray locks. The blonde pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"You know why even after our people attacked them that they took care of us, right?" Chloe asked with a cheeky grin as she twisted slightly to look up into Aubrey's face.

The blonde rolled her eyes and smirked back at the redhead. "Because people are actually good at heart and the world isn't such a shitty place after all?"

Beca snorted from her spot in the front seat. Chloe's grin widened. "Yep, exactly."

Even the sight of a handful of biters trudging along off the side of the road couldn't shake the smile from Aubrey's lips. "Ya know Chloe, I think you may just be right after all…Little Miss Fucking Sunshine."

She tightened her arms around the redhead and smiled in contentment. Her hair fluttered in the soft breeze as they continued on toward their home.

 **END**


End file.
